Nightwatcher Blaze of Glory
by 54Viruses
Summary: Every hero or vigilante wants to go out with a bang; but with retirement looming Nightwatcher will have to deal with something he dreads most...Teamwork.
1. It Can't Last Forever

I do not own the TMNT characters or themes

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Chapter one; It Can't Last Forever.

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A dark brooding silhouette crouched on the elaborate moldings. The city lights reflected dully in the visor of the figure's helmet as it scanned the streets below for any signs of trouble. This city was all he really knew, and he would protect it. He was the Nightwatcher and as such he would protect the city. He would take every scumbag that came across his path and make sure that scum was off the streets for at least a night or two. By the time the Nightwatcher was done any creep who even thought of pulling some lowlife stunt and robbing or attacking an innocent would pay.

"Listen to me," Came the Nightwatcher's slightly muffled voice, "I'm starting to sound like Mikey." The Nightwatcher stood. The leather of his clothing creaked and provided an almost comfortable level of resistance. He turned and moved across the roof towards the fire escape. It had been a quiet night so far, only some minor dark alley type jerks. Probably a good time to head home. Maybe if he went home now he could get enough sleep to get up and train with his brothers.

Raphael felt a slight knotting in his gut at the thought. Leo was home now. Sure they had more or less worked out their issues, but sooner or later Leo was going to 'suggest' Raph stop running around …what was the phrase he had used? Right 'Dressed up like it's Halloween every night!' Really there wasn't a problem with that, Raph had known it was coming sooner or later, but he had kind of wanted the 'Nightwatcher' to go out with a bang, something real big. Maybe it was just a childish hope, like Mikey and his superhero obsession.

Speaking of brothers, Raph was planning to make a 'bargain' with Leo when Fearless finally told Raph to hang up the suit. Leo was so predictable; the conversation was already well scripted in Raph's mind.

_"I __dunno__ Leo…"_ He'd say after a healthy bit of arguing.

_"Raph, it's for the good of the team."_ Leo would probably use that phrase several times, thinking he was arguing his brother down.

_"__Fine! I'll do it__, but on one condition!"_

_"What__ condition?"_ Raph could almost hear the exasperation in Leo's voice; trust the hothead to make things difficult.

_"Don't tell Mikey or Donnie, alright?"_ Not too much to ask for. Leo would probably pretend to consider for a minute, trying to hide how relieved he was that Raph wasn't going to be such a pain in the shell about it. They'd probably shake on it or something corny like that.

But enough of that, the Nightwatcher wasn't going to be around forever and there was no way Raph was going to spend his last few nights brooding about retirement. By now he had reached the ground and was pulling his bike out. Yes his bike was a thing of beauty, probably the one thing he would miss the most. Maybe if he gave the thing to Casey the bonehead would let him ride it from time to time. He threw a leg over the machine and started her up. The bike almost jumped to life, eager to please and even more eager to go fast. Raph let a chuckle loose as he revved the engine and headed out onto the street.

It was good to be the Nightwatcher!

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As the Nightwatcher's bike roared past another figure stood proudly on another building watching as the vigilante tore off. This figure did not brood and held about him a sort of power and strength, the very picture of a defender of the people.

This figure took careful note of the direction the Nightwatcher had gone off in and followed soon after. As this new person leaped from the building a cape billowed out behind as he seemed to soar with elegant grace in the direction that the motorcycle had taken.

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Who is this second figure? Tune in next week (or whenever I get around to posting again) to find out in the next exciting chapter of Nightwatcher; Blaze of Glory! (queue dramatic theme music.)


	2. Dark Figure & a Beautiful Woman

I do not own the TMNT characters or themes.

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Chapter two; A Dark Figure and a Beautiful Woman

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Broadway, 5th street, central park, east side, west side it didn't matter, the Nightwatcher couldn't shake his tail…the figurative one, not the one under his shell.

This clown had been following him for almost an hour now. Every time Raph was sure he'd shaken the guy his mirrors would pick up that caped idiot again. What kind of nut job swung through the air like some kind of Spiderman and wore a huge red cape like that? Twice now he'd had to miss some possible action because he was trying to lose this guy; not to mention there was no way he could risk going home. Leo wasn't going to like Raph missing more practice.

A third time the radio in Nightwatcher's helmet picked up on some possible activity. It was close; there was no way he was going to pass it up. Hitting the breaks Raph slid into a one-eighty turn and sped in the opposite direction, Raph thought he heard some shouting as he drove right under his pursuer.

Less than half a mile later the Nightwatcher rolled up in front of a small electronics store.

The windows were busted out and there were six punks inside swinging bats and crowbars at anything that might break. A woman screamed. One of the punks held up a bat just a moment too long. The chains of Raph's manriki shot out and wrapped around the bat before being jerked back with enough force to snap bone, the poor sap swinging the bat was too stupid to let go and he was pulled right out the broken storefront window. He hit the ground and tried to get his bat back but upon seeing and recognizing the figure on the bike he left the bat and ran.

His sudden flight had not gone unnoticed by his buddies. They shouted meaningless banter to each other, building up their courage as four of them came out of the store, which left one inside.

The four spread out into a half circle, they were grinning and had no intention of letting this guy past them. Nightwatcher never bothered to get off his bike; he revved the engine and sped right towards the gang bangers. The two in front of him weren't so stupid as the first guy. They dived to the side as the bike tore past them and through the door, snapping what was left of the door frame. Nightwatcher hit his brakes just as his front tire broke through the door, the resulting skid brought the Night watcher just inches from the last punk.

"Sorry buddy, this store is closed." Said the boy, no more than seventeen. He swung the crowbar at the vigilante with the bent, sharpened end aimed at Nightwatcher's visor. The metal bar thunked solidly into Nightwatcher's waiting glove.

"I won't take long." Came the mocking voice from the helmet. The kid's eyes widened as he found himself being flung over the bike and into a pile of debris he had helped create.

The Nightwatcher turned to the woman behind the counter; she would have been a lovely Latino woman if it weren't for the pallor of fear on her face, stark terror tended to do that to people. "Are you hurt?" He asked. The woman shook her head. She was holding her skirt out in a funny way and Nightwatcher realized that she was trying to hide her kid behind the cloth. "Get the kid out of here!" He ordered as another gang banger tried to sneak up behind him. Instead of catching Nightwatcher off guard he only caught a fist in his mouth.

The woman dropped her skirt and grabbed her son, running through a back door. As Nightwatcher turned his full attention back to the guys trying to get the jump on him he missed the return of the sixth member, the one he thought had run. This guy slipped past unnoticed and followed after the woman.

The five men, boys really, advanced on Nightwatcher. The vigilante tilted his helmeted head to the side, "Five against one? Guys, that ain't hardly a fair fight!" His manriki came out again and with a quick flick of his wrist Nightwatcher set the chain spinning. "You sure you don't want to call for backup?"

"Help is here!" Announced a confident voice. Nightwatcher and the men turned towards the sound of the voice. In the window stood the figure that had been following Nightwatcher.

"Oh no." Raphael recognized the individual and felt dread flood every vein in his body.

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Nora ran through the back room of her husband's store, clutching Peter to her chest. These men wanted to take Peter for some nefarious purposes involving her son and she wasn't about to let them have him. It didn't matter that the men were armed nor that they had destroyed every last clock and electronic device left in stock. Nothing would make Nora give up her little boy.

She kicked the door to the alley behind the store open and ran north, towards Kyle's place. Kyle had promised to take care of Nora and Peter when her husband disappeared and he would be more than able to protect them. All she had to do was get to his apartment.

"Eh chica!" Somebody called. Nora ran faster, she recognized the voice of one of the men that had attacked the store. "Chica no run away!" Mocked the man in a horribly fake accent. Instead of turning Nora hefted her son higher and ran for all she was worth, Peter grunted slightly with every step. Behind her she could hear heavy boot steps running after her.

Something caught her foot and Nora fell to the ground, barely shifting her weight in time for Peter to land on top of her. Peter cried out but held on tightly. The boot steps slowed as the man came closer. Nora stood and tried to run but the man caught her dress and pushed her down again. Then he grabbed Peter. Despite being winded from her run Nora started screaming like a banshee for somebody, even the man in leather. She screamed in English, Spanish, even Hawaiian.

The man brought a boot to her side. The force of his kick knocked even more air out of Nora and temporarily stunned her. Peter was pulled from her arms and before she could do anything more the man was gone.

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	3. February twentynineth

I do not own the TMNT characters or themes

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Chapter three; February Twenty-Ninth

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"Great. One costumed freak was enough, this is ridiculous." One of the men muttered, slapping his bat into his palm.

"Hold it!" Another gang banger held up his hands as if he were stopping an argument, "I know who the Nightwatcher guy is, but who are you?" He pointed his crowbar at the new guy.

The figure stood heroically with his gloved hands on his sides, "I am-" He announced.

"Shell-for-brains boy." Raph muttered in his helmet.

"The _Turtle Titan_!" was the brilliant introduction. A breeze seemed to come out of nowhere and caused his cape to flutter slightly.

This announcement met with silence. "Who?" One of the gang members asked. The Turtle Titan's cape lost its unseen wind.

"Never mind." He muttered, slightly depressed at not being recognized.

Turtle Titan quickly built back up his stamina, "I am here to help the Nightwatcher to stop you wicked young men from performing your nefarious acts on the innocent citizens of this beautiful city!" While the titan monologued Nightwatcher let loose with his spinning manriki. The weight caught one of the men in his glass jaw; a jerk on the chain pulled it to the side as it was retracted, knocking another out cold. "You shall not harm the proprietors of this fine establishment so long as I, the Turtle Titan, am here!" Another of the gang members attacked the vigilante, swinging his bat for all he was worth. The blow was easily deflected and the Nightwatcher yanked it from his grasp. He used it to sweep the man's feet out from under him. It took little more than a love tap on the skull to send him off to dreamland. "So attack me if you dare!" The remaining two men were watching the Nightwatcher, when the black gloves gestured an invitation for any takers they turned and fled out the door. "Yes! I knew I could still strike fear into the hearts of evil men!"

The sound of slow, obviously sarcastic, clapping shook him out of his superhero ego trip. The Nightwatcher sat on his bike next to the man he had rendered unconscious during the Turtle Titan's little speech. The turtle under the mask saw what had just happened and cringed, "Eh-heh, whoops."

Nightwatcher just shook his head and revved his engine again; he took off out the doorway just as the sounds of police sirens began to fill the air.

Michelangelo was left standing in the store feeling foolish. He looked around; this clearly wasn't his work and he wasn't about to go and steal anyone else's thunder. Pulling his grappling hook from his belt the Turtle Titan decided it was best to disappear into the shadows. It momentarily crossed his mind that there was something familiar about the costumed figure he had just encountered, but he pushed it out of his mind as the hook went flying through the air. Obviously the guy looked familiar because Mikey was such a big fan of his.

Just as the last of his cape disappeared over the ledge of the building opposite the demolished store the police cars arrived. Mikey couldn't resist sticking around to watch the cops start picking through the store front, guns drawn. After they were sure the location was secured they began looking for clues as to what happened. Their radios reported that the caretaker of the store had been found. A couple officers returned to their vehicle and started for the apartment complex that had been named. Hoping that maybe there was a way he could still help, the Turtle Titan stood up and started across the rooftops.

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The store's caretaker, Nora Papalona Carlton, was in hysterics. She explained in detail how her husband had disappeared shortly after a local gang began harassing his store for some reason or another. She did not know how to run a business but had tried her best for the sake of her son, Peter. That evening the gang members had come demanding she hand over Peter. She had tried to make them leave, but they had trashed the place entirely and were advancing on her and her son when "the man in much leather and metal" had rescued her. Nora then explained about how as she was fleeing to her friend's apartment, which she was now in, one of the gang members had chased her down and stolen her son.

The cops assured Mrs. Carlton that everything possible would be done to find her son. She often repeated the reminder to the police officers "Please remember, my son, he is sordomudo!"

Out on the fire escape hid the Turtle Titan. He felt a huge weight in his stomach and tried to think fast, not his specialty. After more than two years of essential retirement he was more than out of date on street smarts. There had been radical changes in the gang communities and he hadn't even recognized what gang had attacked the woman's store. He needed help if he was going to find the woman's son and there was only one person who could help him.

The Nightwatcher!

The Turtle Titan hurried to the roof of the building and started running, he had to find the Nightwatcher fast! The last time he had found the Nightwatcher he had gotten lucky. He hadn't even been looking for anything bigger than a purse snatching or something on his first night back in the cape, then he had first seen the dark figure on his bike. Mikey's heart had nearly jumped out of his throat in excitement and he could just feel the superhero team-up coming! But now he didn't have a clue about where to start looking.

He jumped the gap between two buildings and landed easily, but an unseen newspaper underfoot caused the Turtle Titan to slip and fall clumsily on his shell. The paper drifted gently down onto his face.

"Great, just great." He muttered, sitting up and pulling the paper off. He barely afforded it a glance before tossing it, then froze. It was an article on fan clubs for superheroes meeting at a convention. Who would be the most likely person to track down the Nightwatcher? His biggest fan! And just who was the Nightwatcher's biggest fan? Why, Hamato Michelangelo of course! Mikey grinned and hurried down to street level, quickly jumping into the sewers.

He had just the thing for finding Nightwatcher back. in his bedroom!


	4. Secret Hideouts and Hidden Lairs

I do not own the TMNT characters or themes.

Caution; I have my own ideas about where the Nightwatcher came from.

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Chapter four; Secret Hideouts and Hidden Lairs.

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The powerful motorcycle rolled almost silently through the alley. The figure mounted on it climbed off and moved to an old dilapidated building with a notice on the front proclaiming that the place had been foreclosed due to unpaid rent. The Nightwatcher spun the combination for the lock hanging on the door and pulled it free. He then grabbed the small metal tabs the lock had been on and twisted them three hundred and sixty degrees before a solid click informed him that the door could be opened now. After pushing the door open he retrieved his bike and wheeled the machine through, then had to push the door shut behind him. Inside the garage was cleaner and in better repair than it had been outside. There was a light on in the back.

Raphael pulled off his helmet and moved further into the garage until he could see the desk the light source, a lamp, rested on. Two combat boots were casually perched on the worn surface of the desk and behind it could be seen a science journal with a brown head of hair visible over the top. A female voice spoke.

"If you crashed that motorcycle again I swear it will not be a pretty end for you."

"I didn't crash the bike K, I just need some gas."

The girl looked up over the journal, "That I can do." K slid her feet off of the desk and tossed the journal down before standing up. She walked over to a pile of five gallon plastic jugs and easily lifted one that was completely filled.

The girl wasn't much older than Raphael and his brothers; she could easily be the same age as them. She had been introduced to Raphael by a mutual friend of theirs when he had first begun thinking of the vigilante thing. Although Raph still didn't really know much about her he did know that she had the resources to keep the Nightwatcher supplied, the skills to fix his bike when it was beyond his help and the guts to shake his hand the first time they had met. That last one was a huge plus in the turtle's mind.

K placed the jug beside the large black bike and frowned down at the vehicle. "I thought you said you did not crash it!"

"I didn't crash it! What makes you think I crashed it?" K reached under the bike and pulled out a portion of what used to be the electronics store's front door. She waved the piece at him and lifted her eyebrows for an explanation. "So the bike picks up a little scrap! Why do you always think I'll demolish my bike?"

K rolled her eyes and started collecting the supplies she would need to gas the motorcycle up. "Is that question rhetorical or do I have to start naming off examples?"

"Rhetorical, I'd like to get back out there sometime this month."

K snorted, "All right Raph, coffee and a sandwich in the back, go refuel your self."

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Donatello walked out of his room thinking fondly of the letter in the mail, his resignation from the tech company he had sold his soul to for the past year. He stretched his arms over his head and was actually pleased to feel the slight burn from today's training sessions. Before Leo had come home Donnie had begun to worry that his reduced training schedule mixed with his increased computer time really was causing his skills to deteriorate as much as Raphael's scathing remarks said they were. Now he could feel himself improving again with the passing days.

Yes, the geek was happy to have regular workouts again.

It was good to have several things returning to normal. Back-breaking training sessions in the morning, Donnie _not_ being a part of the frequent shouting matches, Raph actually staying home at night once or twice, it was good to have some sense of normalcy returning to the mutant's household. Donnie was even planning to tell Mikey he had agreed to shut down the Cowabunga Carl's party business; just as soon as Don received confirmation of his resignation.

He moved out into the living area to make sure everything was secure before turning in, a habit he had picked up during Leo's training period that he had no intention of dropping. Surprisingly Mikey was still up sitting beside the coffee table with a large map of New York, a box of tacks and his Nightwatcher scrapbook.

"Hey Mikey, how did the party go?" Mikey looked up startled, his blue eyes wide behind the bright orange mask. He looked like a much younger version of himself caught with his hands in the cookie jar.

"Party? Oh dude! Right! The party! It was great; grownups are so much nicer than little kids!" Mikey put on his fake smile; the same one he used when he was driving without the big head on and when he was lying really, really badly.

"Good! I look forward to seeing what you got paid tomorrow." The smile faded a little.

Donnie managed to hold his own, genuine, grin back until he had his shell turned to his brother. It didn't take a genius like Don to figure out that Mikey had been out playing Turtle Titan. Especially since it was a leap-day, one of the days the Justice Force consented to let him be officially on duty. What Donnie couldn't figure out was what Mikey was doing with the map and tacks.

As soon as his brother was out of sight Mikey flipped to the next page of his scrapbook and searched the page for an address or location. When he found it he grabbed another tack from the box and pinned it securely into place before looking at the next article. On the map the tacks were scattered over nearly the entire city and they were multiplying rapidly, but they were clearly beginning to cluster together in one area, a place not too far from where Mikey - er - the Turtle Titan- had first spotted the Nightwatcher for himself.

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	5. Touching Base

I do not own the TMNT or any related characters and themes.

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Chapter five; Touching Base

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Turtle Titan raced over the rooftops of New York, a definite area in mind that he had to stick to as he desperately searched for the Nightwatcher. He had already come close once, spotting police cars pulling up to a couple punks ductaped to a street lamp in typical nightwatcher fashion.

Every time he heard a motorcycle he would rush to try and catch sight of it, but usually it would just be some punk too stupid to wear so much as a helmet.

It was well after two in the morning and Mikey was beginning to wonder if he should leave this matter to the police when he saw some kid trying to steal a motorcycle. Figuring that the Turtle Titan could at least encourage one kid to go straight before the night was through he swung down to street level and crept up behind the kid.

"Tsk, tsk. Isn't that bike a little big for you?" The kid spun around when he heard the voice and realizing that he had been caught he dropped the bike and ran. Turtle Titan darted forward and caught the bike before it hit the pavement. A machine this nice even Mikey knew it would be a shame to scratch it. He looked it over and figured out the kick stand thing before looking around to see if the owner was coming back yet.

The owner was back. Ever brave and courageous Turtle Titan jumped slightly and a squeak escaped his mouth when he saw the Nightwatcher staring at him through the shiny visor on his helmet. "Whoa, this is like, so not what it looks like! I wasn't trying to steal it or nothing!"

Nightwatcher held out a gloved hand and slid it to the side. Turtle Titan stepped away from the bike. Once Turtle Titan was a respectable distance from the motorcycle Nightwatcher went to his bike and slung a leg over the seat. Mikey was still noticing how short the guy was when the engine started up.

"No wait! The Electric Store!" The bike started forward, "The lady's kid got kidnapped!" Turtle Titan shouted as the bike hit the street, the Nightatcher hit the brakes and looked sharply at the Turtle Titan.

"What?!" The syllable was short, muffled and barked.

"The lady's kid, she ran and somebody chased her, they took her kid!"

Nightwatcher sat there for a minute, not reacting. Finally he jerked his thumb over this shoulder, indicating that Turtle Titan get on behind him. There wasn't much room, but it might be easier traveling. Turtle Titan hurried over and climbed on behind the guy, this would be easier if Nightwatcher didn't have this big pack on his back. Once he had a good hold the Nightwatcher sped off. "Talk!" He called over his shoulder. Turtle Titan told him the entire story about following the police, Nora and Peter.

"What does sordomudo mean anyway?" Turtle Titan finished. Nightwatcher shrugged. He turned another corner and came to a sudden stop, nearly throwing the Titan off. The Nightwatcher turned his helmet and seemed to be watching Turtle Titan for something. "So, uh, end of the line right?" A crisp nod. "Right."

Turtle Titan slid off of the back of the bike, the Nightwatcher revved up his bike. Just before the motorcycle got rolling an idea struck the Titan. "Wait!" The Nightwatcher stopped, annoyance flavoring his body language. "I'm going to go keep an eye on the place the lady's staying at, how do I contact you if I learn anything?"

For a minute it looked like Nightwatcher was about to speed off again. Instead he unzipped one of his many pockets and pulled out a small electronic doohickey. He tossed this to the Turtle Titan before zipping the pocket back up and speeding away.

Mikey watched the bike turn a corner and vanish. He felt a slight feeling of depression until he looked back at the little device in his hands. It was a headset. That meant that he was still on with the Nightwatcher! Three cheers for wicked cool superhero team-ups!

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Raphael heaved a sigh of relief as he turned out of his brother's sight. It would take a miracle for Mikey not to get the whole metal turtle thing the way Casey had. Heck, it would take divine intervention of the highest caliber for anyone to have trouble figuring out something that Casey had understood.

Then again, Leo hadn't figured it out until the helmet came off.

But there was business to attend to. Raph had told the woman to run, brilliant. She had obeyed and her kid got taken from her; that made it the Nightwatcher's responsibility to get the kid back to his mother…and to dish out a whole lot of punishment on the guys who had taken him. It was no wonder Mikey, pardon, _Turtle Titan_ hadn't recognized what gang the vandals came from. Michelangelo hadn't been on the streets much in a long time. There was no way he would know about the Initiates.

Much as Raphael hated to admit it, the Nightwatcher hadn't done as good a job at keeping the city's crime under control as the four ninja brothers had. During Leo's absence the gangs had flourished. The Purple Dragons had even become so powerful that they had created a sort of sub gang for potential new members, the Initiates. Initiates were expected to do the Purple Dragon's dirty work; crimes that they would probably get caught doing. If they didn't, they got just a little closer to getting the coveted member's tattoo. That meant that tonight's job at the electronics store was probably on orders from higher up, but what the higher ups would need a kid for was beyond Raphael's guess.

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There will be some action in the next chapter if I can get Raph to move his lazy shell.


	6. Initiation Rites

I do not own the TMNT or related themes and characters.

The Initiates are my own idea.

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Chapter six; Initiation Rites

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Nightwatcher rode his bike deeper into Dragon turf, not hard considering how much they'd grown over the last couple years. He knew of a food joint that Initiates liked to sit around in and brag about how close they were to getting inked. After pulling the bike up into an alley not far from the place he walked purposefully through the front door, cowboy style.

The place grew quiet instantly. Teenagers as young a thirteen stared at the intruder in their space. Some of the older kids reached into their pants or jackets to pull out knives. The situation and numbers would have scared the pants off of any normal person, might have even made Raph a little nervous without the nightwatcher suit on. As it was he had an advantage the other occupants of the building didn't seem to sense.

"Hiya guys! I don't suppose anyone here would be kind enough to let me in on where this kid 'Peter' is, would ya'?" Nightwatcher asked conversationally, straight to the point always worked best for him. "He's about yay tall, black hair, quiet little fella', ya seen him?"

Dead silence reigned for a moment, and then somebody tried to rush Nightwatcher from the side. He easily caught the guy by the wrist and simply redirected the boy to run harmlessly in front of him, but the first guy was like the first crack in the dike. Several more Initiates ran at Nightwatcher.

It was a simple matter of stepping back to get most of them to run into each other. Nightwatcher grabbed one kid's belt and heaved him into a bunch of Initiates that were standing like they were in line or something. A blade managed to cut through the leather of Nightwatcher's costume at one point, drawing blood. An arm shot back and caught the punk responsible in the stomach, he crumpled to the floor. Other blades were used, but few did more than nick the thick leather suit or bounce off of metal. Over all by the time the attack was over Nightwatcher couldn't help but feel a little disappointed with the turnout.

"Aw come on, you guys are the future of the Purple Dragon? Pathetic." The guy who had managed to draw some blood earlier tried to scurry back to his friends who now stood a safe distance from Nightwatcher. Instead of letting him flee Nightwatcher lifted the Initiate clean off the floor and held him up by his collar, "Now, I'll ask nicely one more time. Where's the kid?"

This guy looked older than some of the others, twenty or something. He had been shaved bald recently and the fuzz that was growing in was shiny with sweat. "I don't know! I don't know!" He insisted. The gloved hand that held him up dropped him. He hit the floor and crawled backwards.

A deep voice called from the back. "Listen punk, I don't serve nobody but Initiates and Dragons." A big man pushed his way through the crowd. His shirt had an emblem that read 'Cheif n' Beef ' –the name of this establishment. The guy had to weight more than two hundred pounds, but his six foot plus frame carried it well. He was probably the cleanest person in the place, a good thing since it looked like he was the owner. This man stepped right up to Nightwatcher without an ounce of fear or misgiving in his eyes. "So either sign up, or get out."

When he was close enough Nightwatcher could see the bit of purple poking out of this guy's shirt at the collar and sleeve. He was a Purple Dragon and by the looks of it probably the oldest surviving member, there was even a touch of grey in his hair that few gang members lived to be graced with. The man leaned down until his face was just inches from the Nightwatcher's visor.

"Did you hear me shorty?" the dragon growled.

"Yep, loud and clear. Now, where's the kid?" Nightwatcher saw the punch. He deflected it easily and delivered one of his own to the man's gut; he didn't seem to feel it. The big man tried to grab the costumed vigilante by the shoulders but his attempts were easily thwarted and this time a heavy, metal, boot rammed into his gut with enough force to pulverize a solid brick wall. The kick drove the man back several feet. He looked up with fire in his eyes and started towards the Nightwatcher.

"Wait!" Somebody called. The man stopped at the voice. A guy pushed through the crowd and stepped into view. "I heard about the kid and I'll tell you." The guy had longish blond hair and an accent that was disturbingly familiar to Raphael. Somebody hissed something at the teen but he didn't turn.

"You'll do no such thing." The owner warned. He stepped closer to the boy and whether he intended to silence him or simply pose a threat Nightwatcher didn't wait to find out. He rapidly delivered a roundhouse kick, aimed lower to strike the same location his earlier kick did. The big man toppled over, grunting in pain.

Nightwatcher looked back at the boy. "You realize you can't stay here now even if you do keep your trap shut?"

"Dude, no problem." He replied. That's when Raphael placed the surfer accent he had worked so hard to break Mikey of. "If you'll give me a ride outa' here I'll like, totally spill, okay?"

Nightwatcher nodded. The two of them left the building without another problem.

While they walked to where Nightwatcher had stashed his bike the kid talked. "Okay, so the dragons chose a bunch of Initiates to run a mission for them. It was supposed to be real hush-hush like, you know? One of the guys couldn't keep his mouth shut and started bragging that he was going to grab this kid from an electronics store and take him to where they're keeping his dad over by the harbor. Dude! Righteous!" The kid had just spotted the bike. He ran over for a closer look, careful not to put his hands on the paintjob in case Nightwatcher was the protective type.

Instead of telling the kid to back off, Nightwatcher climbed on the bike and jerked a thumb at the small amount of extra seating behind him, "I don't got a spare helmet so hang on tight, got it?"

"No problem dude." The kid jumped on behind Nightwatcher. _I'm __turnin__' into a __frickin__' taxi service here._ He thought.

The bike tore off, the usually satisfying feeling of going from zero to forty in almost no time was ruined by the call that came behind him, setting his nerves end and nearly setting off his temper.

"_Cowabunga!_"

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	7. Things Get A Little Harder

I do not own the TMNT

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Chapter seven; Things Get a Little Harder

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Nora fingered the photo Kyle had given her of Peter.

He told her everything would be all right and that the cops would find her boy. Kyle was a good friend. He had been a friend of Nora's husband for many years and he always tried to help her family when there was any kind of trouble. He knew about the streets, often he had protected Nora or her husband by physically fighting with the dangerous teens that roamed the streets. Nora trusted Kyle and believed him when he said everything would turn out for the best.

Now Kyle was in the living room of his apartment fixing up the bed he had pulled out of the couch. He insisted that Nora sleep on his own bed. Not that she expected to get much sleep tonight. Ever since his father had disappeared Peter had insisted on sleeping with her, the thought that she would have to spend the night without either her husband or her son by her side for the first time in seven years was heart breaking for her.

A knocking at the door caused Nora to look up. Kyle stood in the door shirtless, carrying a small bag. "A lady cop brought this for you. Clothes and things from your place." He put the bag on the floor inside the room.

Nora thanked him and he wished her goodnight before turning to go to bed. Before the door closed behind him Nora could see the tattoo of a large purple dragon on his back.

Giving the picture one last look, Nora took the bag into the bathroom to get ready for bed. After a quick shower, brushing her teeth and pulling a robe on over her pajamas she opened the door of the bathroom to go to bed.

Sitting on the bed, grinning like a hyena, was a heavy-set young man holding a knife. "Hello pretty lady. Will you keep me company tonight?"

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

It was late, really, really late. Early morning really. The sun was getting ready to come up and Mikey was ready to go home. Training would be no fun after a night without sleep.

A woman's scream threw all thoughts of going home out of Titan's mind as he ran back to the apartment. Jumping easily from one building down to the fire escape at the level of Nora's apartment he immediately saw the man trying to kick his way into the bathroom. Turtle Titan immediately burst through the window, glass shattering. The man turned to face this new opponent just before a gloved fist sent him off to la-la land.

The bedroom door opened and more men came in wielding a variety of weapons. Normally this wouldn't faze the Turtle Titan, but one of them had a handgun.

"Ah Shell." The titan mumbled, he then put on his characteristic grin. "Hey guys! I was just looking for the little superheroes room! Could you help a guy out?"

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Nightwatcher's bike sped towards the harbor. His motorcycle was possibly the fastest bike in the state, but it couldn't travel faster than a simple phone call. The owner of the 'Chief N' Beef' put in a call warning the dragon at the harbor of the vigilante's approach and they weren't about to let him come waltzing in on them.

"Ah shell." Nightwatcher muttered. Two motorcycles and a Crown Vic blocked the road ahead of him. He gunned the engine.

One of the motorcyclists sped to meet Nightwatcher, as they drew closer the biker pulled out a bat and aimed for the Nightwatcher's helmet. At the last possible moment Nightwatcher ducked and could feel the bat meet ineffectively with the armor over his shell. The second biker started towards Nightwatcher but he was passed before his bike even got up to speed.

Nightwatcher was sure the car would try to ram into him, but the Vic didn't move until after Nightwatcher's bike was past. Then it followed him.

This tactic confused Nightwatcher. Why didn't they just try to take him out? He was too fast to catch. So trying to ram him with the car would have been their best bet, it wouldn't work but it would be their best bet.

It wasn't until he was speeding through the alleys, roads and walkways around the harbor that this strategy began to make a little more sense. With the two bikes and the car following him he couldn't slow down and find out exactly where Peter and his dad were being kept.

Growling slightly Nightwatcher slowed until the motorcycles had almost caught up with him, then he turned sharply into an alleyway too small for the car. It worked, but the screeching of tires told him it was only a temporary fix. He was going to have to find a way to lose these clowns.

Just then the mike in his helmet buzzed, He heard Mikey's voice "_Uh, __Nightwatcher__, we've got a_-" gunshots in the background. Mikey grunted and a woman screamed. "_A big problem_!"

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Review please!


	8. Victims and Brothers

I do not own the TMNT

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Chapter eight; Victims and Brothers

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The other vehicles dropped off of Nightwatcher's tail as soon as they were convinced they'd chased him off. For his part, Nightwatcher gunned it, pushing the speed up as high as it would go without losing control, sometimes faster.

He hated the time it took to regain control after a sharp turn when normally he thrilled in it. In his mind he kept hearing that grunt after the gunshot. Mikey wasn't the type to grunt. Something was wrong. And if that stupid knuckle-head went and got himself hurt or-

Instead of finishing that last thought Nightwatcher pushed his bike to go faster.

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The Turtle Titan was in over his shell. The place was swarming with Dragons and Initiates; several of which sported guns.

Mikey hated those things. They required no training, no work and no brains to be operated, in short; pulling a gun in a fight ought to be considered cheating! To make matters worse they _hurt_! Not the sharp, clean pain from a blade or the dull throb of a hit, but a tearing, burning pain that was nearly impossible to think through. In this lady's bathroom Mikey swore to himself never to watch another one of those stupid movies where the good guy got shot and kept going like it was an annoyance.

"You're bleeding!" The woman in front of him stated the obvious.

"Yes ma'am, t'ain't nothing but a scratch!" Turtle Titan bluffed. He fished a couple throwing knives out of his belt and jammed them under the window. Using the knives, he managed to pry the swollen wooden frame open wide enough to get his fingers into the gap then tried to get the stupid thing to open the rest of the way.

"Come on you costumed freak! Let the lady out and we'll leave you alone!" Somebody taunted from the other side of the door. The window slid open a few more inches before finally giving up and opening the rest of the way.

There was no fire escape out here so the Turtle Titan climbed out first and attached his grappling hook to the window sill. "Hurry!" He urged. Nora nodded and carefully climbed out. As she did so she slipped and started to fall, but the Titan caught her. If Michelangelo hadn't undergone hours of endurance training from his earliest youth Turtle Titan would never have been able to climb down the side of that building with the woman clutching one arm and a gunshot wound tearing at the shoulder of his other arm.

Once they were safely on the ground Turtle Titan gave the rope a sharp tug and freed the grappling hook. His reflexes were off and the thing landed solidly on his head, fortunately not doing damage to anything but his pride.

"Not up to your usual standards now are you?" One of the four punks in the entrance to the alley sneered.

"Hey now, we all have our off days!" Turtle Titan replied. He gave a little shrug that nearly rendered him unconscious from the pain before jumping behind a dumpster, pulling the woman with him. Two bullets ricocheted off the concrete where they had been standing just an instant before.

"Look at the speedy turtle. Now where could the speedy turtle be hiding?" One of the Gangsters cackled. They started coming closer. Turtle Titan pushed the woman behind him and prepared to leap out and tackle the men as they came around the corner, if only he could see them clearly.

To make matters just slightly worse there was a buzzing in Mikey's head. He couldn't remember a buzzing like this any of the other times he had gotten seriously hurt. It wasn't a buzzing as much as a-

Nightwatcher's bike took out three of the men as he jumped clear. The forth man pulled his gun up to shoot just before he was greeted with a gloved rock shaped like a fist. As the guy hit the ground Nightwatcher came over to check on Turtle Titan and the woman.

Turtle Titan's skin was pale under his mask and blood stained one side of his costume, but he was still conscious. Raphael felt a chill run down his shell and almost reached for his shell cell out of habit. "Hey, dude, we've got to get this lady to the police department." Titan jerked a thumb over his shoulder where the mother crouched.

"Right." Nightwatcher muttered so softly that it barely carried through his helmet. In spite of the fact that this current mess was aimed at the woman Raph still wanted to get Mikey to safety immediately, but that wasn't possible at the moment. He helped Turtle Titan to his feet. Speaking louder, Nightwatcher ordered "You get to safety, _now_. I'll take the lady." He wanted to drag Mikey back to the lair and get Donnie to patch him up and Leo to give him a huge lecture on safety and avoiding guns, but victims took priority. Only one passenger could fit on the Nightwatcher's bike and the woman was incapable of defending herself against her enemies.

"Great, see ya later." Nightwatcher almost reconsidered his course of action when he heard the faint slur to Turtle Titan's voice. Instead he reached into one of his pockets and pulled out a gauze pad. After pressing it quickly to his costumed brother's shoulder he grabbed the Titan's wrist directed him to put pressure on the wound.

"Okay, now hide!" He ordered. Turtle Titan nodded and ran from the alley. Once his cape flapped out of sight Nightwatcher grabbed his bike and righted it again. "Okay lady, I'm taking you to the police station and when we get there you will stay with an officer at all times until your little boy and husband are back, capeesh?"

"Stay with officer, yes!" Nora confirmed as she climbed on behind Nightwatcher.

"Good, hang on!"

As he tore out of the alley Nightwatcher tried to catch a glimpse of his brother but in true ninja fashion there wasn't a sign or a shadow of him.

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	9. Time measured in Blood

I do not own the TMNT or related themes and characters.

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Chapter nine: Time measured in blood.

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On the horizon the sun peaked over the rooftops.

"Dan, you know that 'showboat vigilante' you want behind bars?"

"What about him?" The senior police officer grouched.

"He just dropped a woman off in front of the steps."

"WHAT?!" Officer Dan Secrest grabbed his service weapon off his desk and ran out the door just in time to see the black clad Nightwatcher speed away, his engine roaring. "Hey you! Stop!"

"Or what? You'll shoot? You wouldn't risk the paperwork necessary to hit him." The younger officer scoffed as he hurried out to help Nora up the steps to the department.

Off into the night the vigilante in question rode at top speed back towards the apartment building. The bike had been modified to go in excess of a hundred miles an hour and the thing still wasn't fast enough. "Hold on Mikey."

Finally Nightwatcher returned to the alley where he had left his brother. He scanned the ground until he saw the blood revealed by the growing morning light. The blood didn't leave a path, but years of training together made it just as easy to follow where Mikey had gone.

Nightwatcher climbed up the side of the building using windows, a flag pole and molding in the brick until he reached the roof top. He was met with a smear of blood on the ledge of roof that proved not only that Mikey had been here, but he wasn't moving with his usual agility. There was no way he could have gotten up here and still had the strength to jump to any of the surrounding buildings.

Raph cast about for a moment before his eyes settles on a small wall that hid the building's rooftop access. Behind the wall was a metal panel that could be lifted and would probably lead to stairs. Quickly Nightwatcher gripped the edge of the panel, swung it open and started down the steps.

On the second flight of stairs down Mikey sat up against the wall. One hand was pressed against his shoulder and his head bobbing slightly in a manner that worried Raph. The Nightwatcher boots were nearly impossible to mute on the creaky old wooden steps and as soon as he heard the creaking of old wood Mikey's head jerked up though he hardly looked ready to put up a fight. When he recognized the costumed figure he relaxed slightly and tried to put on a cheesy grin.

"Either I'm movin' real slow or you're moving way too fast." He slurred heavily.

"Right. Come on, we gotta' get you patched up." Raph leaned down and helped Mikey to his feet. The injured turtle swayed slightly before Raph slung Mikey's good arm over his shoulder and started down the stairs.

"Ya know? Yer shorter in person than I 'spected." As they moved down the stairs Mikey contentedly mumbled whatever comment came to mind. Meanwhile Raph's mind was churning a mile a minute. Secret identities didn't matter anymore, Raph didn't care if Donnie, Mikey and Master Splinter found out about the whole Nightwatcher thing at this point; he just wanted Mikey to be okay. But the closest entrance to the lair was more than four miles off and then there would be the trek through some of the city's slimier tunnels. Not a good option on time or for keeping Mikey's injury sanitary. The only other choice Raph could think of would be to take him back to the garage and hope K could provide medical assistance.

On the bottom floor a young boy with a bag of newspapers gaped at the two costumed mutants as they stumbled out of the stairwell and towards a side door. Raph tried to kick the thing open but it was made of good quality materials and did not give easily. He wasn't about to let go of Mikey, who he was now completely supporting.

"I'll get that!" The little boy ran over and turned the doorknob. He then did something weird to push it open and ran into the alley to hold it open as Nightwatcher stumbled out with his burden.

"Thanks kid." Nightwatcher grunted.

"Is he going to be all right?" The boy pointed at the Turtle Titan, who was now completely unconscious.

"He'd better." Was the growled response. The boy watched as Nightwatcher loaded the Turtle Titan onto his motorcycle in front of him and kicked his engine into gear before roaring off into the city.

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	10. Rising Tempers

I do not own the TMNT or related themes and characters.

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Chapter ten; Rising Tempers

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K frowned as the sound of a motorcycle engine met her ears. There were thousands of different motorcycles in the world but she'd be deaf before she couldn't recognize that particular engine.

She quickly tossed her book aside and hurried to open the door to the garage, barely having time to jump out of the way before Nightwatcher's bike slid through the door. Seeing the harsh treatment of his machine K started to yell at him before she saw that the bike had an unconscious passenger. K shut her mouth and quickly pulled the door shut and hurried over to where the bike had stopped to help Nightwatcher to his feet.

"Mikey, he's hurt. Ya' gotta do something."

The two of them lifted the unconscious Turtle Titan free of the motorcycle. They carried him over to a bare spot of floor and set him down. K took a knife out of her pocket and began to uncover the wound site. "Get me the trauma kit." She ordered briskly.

"What?" Nightwatcher stared at her blankly through the helmet's visor, Raph had barely been able to pull his eyes away from his brother's pale skin.

"The trauma kit! The big tool box with the red cross painted on it! I have only used it on you a thousand times! Get it!" Raph finally nodded and hurried over to the box in question. By the time he had returned with it K had removed the mask and uncovered Mikey's shoulder. She examined the wound carefully. "The good news is that the bullet didn't cut any major arteries…I think…"

"Ya think!" Raph pulled off his helmet and yelled at K. "Wa's that s'posed ta mean?!"

K glared up at him. "I am a technology expert, not a doctor!" She snapped.

"'ma, d'ct'r not a m'k'nik jm." Mikey muttered.

The two glanced sheepishly down at the injured turtle. K quickly resumed her examination of the injury. "As I was saying; it does not look as though an artery was hit, BUT-" She glared up at Raph, interrupting him before he himself could interrupt her, "There is an exit wound." She finished. After opening the trauma box and pulling out a bottle she added quietly "Although if that is a good thing…I am not sure."

"What?"

"I am going to disinfect the wound, make sure he does not fight." Raph nodded and tried to brace Mikey as K poured a dark brownish, yellow liquid over the bullet wound.

Raph watched her work on his little brother, but it bothered him that K wasn't doing anything about his greatest concern. "What about blood loss?" He asked.

K shook her head, "I do not know." She covered Mikey's shoulder and looked up. "You look ready to drop. There are a couple breakfast burritos on my desk; eat them, drink the orange juice and crash on the couch."

Raphael didn't even glance at the desk or the couch. "Ferget it."

In response to his menacing growl K glared at him, "Eat. Sleep. By choice or under chemical enforcement."

They squared off for a moment, K's grey and Raph's brown shooting angry poison darts at each other. "Che-mi-cal, en-force-ment." K repeated. Raphael growled and broke off eye contact. Much as he despised backing down he knew that K didn't make threats unless she was ready, capable and willing.

By the time Raph had complied and choked down the food and drink K had finished dressing Mikey's shoulder and was trying to make the injured turtle comfortable on the garage floor. He watched her carefully wrap a blanket around the young turtle's shell trying hard not to disturb the injury. She glanced up at Raph sharply. "I thought I told you to go to sleep."

Raph glared, "I ain't getting no sleep until I find out more about what the Purple Dragon are up to." He moved over to the large door and started to push it open again.

K was on her feet in an instant. "Raphael what makes you think I can stay here and babysit your brother? Should you not be trying to get him home? Maybe to your brother who actually _knows_ something about medical treatments?"

Instead of answering Raphael stalked to his motorcycle and pulled it upright. "Call me if anything changes." His expression was stiff with the faint scowl that he always wore when he was hiding his emotions.

"Raph-" K started heatedly before he pulled on his helmet and revved up the bike's engine. Instead of saying what she was going to K simply grumbled, "Fine." With that Nightwatcher sped out the building.

Muttering impressive curses under her breath against pig-headed vigilantes with shadowy motives K moved to the door and pulled it shut once more. The rumbling of the large door as it closed drowned out the sound of the building's rear entrance being opened.

* * *

As his motorcycle sped in the direction of the pier Raphael's mind raced faster than any motorcycle could ever travel.

Why had he left his brother, his _injured_ brother with K- who was a complete stranger to Mikey? Why hadn't he just brought his brother home? Raph really couldn't say why although he had the distinct image in his head of Master Splinter's reaction when he had heard of what happened to Leo no more than a couple weeks ago.

Leo, Raph had gone and disarmed his long missing brother, than left him just short of defenseless in this crazy city.

Then there was that lady at the electronics store, the one Raph had been trying to protect and instead sent out into the alley, right where the Initiates had wanted her.

And now Mikey. Shot by Purple Dragon and then left behind to fend for himself. Then Raph left him behind with a girl who barely understood how to treat humans, not to mention turtles.

What was it with Raph and leaving those he should be protecting pretty much defenseless?

Nightwatcher hit the brakes, the tires of his bike leaving black streaks behind him as it protested this sudden change in speed. Just as the machine came to a complete stop he gunned the engine and sped off again, trying to clear his mind of its-self abusive thoughts.


	11. Boom

I do not own the TMNT or related themes and characters. K is an original character and thus belongs to me.

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Chapter eleven; Boom

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It was more of a moan than a groan and it had just the slightest bit of a whine to it. Under his pile of blankets the turtle stirred slightly before settling down again. K looked up from her computer, relieved to hear that Michelangelo hadn't died under her supervision.

After shutting her laptop, K stood up and walked over to where her patient lay, trying to keep her combat boots from clomping on the concrete as she came closer. Carefully she lifted a couple blankets and examined the bandage on his shoulder. She was pleased to see that it hadn't bled through and that the skin around the bandage didn't appear to be inflamed. The blankets were replaced and as K stood she was startled by a slight gurgling noise. She looked down. "If I can hear that under all those blankets then I know you need food." K smirked at the sleeping turtle.

In the back of the garage was a small room with a couch, a small fridge and a microwave resting on a table. K went to the fridge and tried to find some food for when the turtle woke up but as she opened the door and knelt down for a better look inside something under the table caught her eye. K's brow furrowed as she moved to get a closer look. It was a small metal box with a dim red light, a glowing green light and a keyhole. Leaning a little further under the table K was able to see past the small metal box to a tan package attacked to the device.

"Tell me that is not what I think that is." K shifted her weight till she was lying under the table with her back on the floor and her hands hovering just beneath the wooden surface under the table, not quite touching. She looked closer at the strange package, examining the clear cover and the way the package was attached to the device. No sooner had she determined what it was than she was out of the kitchen, running for the sleeping turtle on the floor.

"Wake up, wake up, wake up!" K quickly pulled the blankets off the turtle and started shaking his uninjured shoulder.

"…Hnm?..." The turtle hnm-ed.

"Wake up, we have to move and we have to move NOW!" K moved behind the turtle and heaved at his shell. Michelangelo whimpered as he was slowly being awoken to the pain in his shoulder, "I know it hurts but we have to go!" She shoved his shell upright and quickly pulled his good arm over her shoulders. After consciously straightening her back she heaved, standing to her feet and pulling the turtle to his.

"Uhn."

"We have to move! Now!" K grunted. She hesitated to mention the bomb; if somebody could slip several ounces of C4 and a detonator into the building without her knowing they could also bug the place. If it became too obvious that she was aware of the danger the bomb could be detonated early. "Come…on!"

Slowly K moved the injured ninja to the back door. She had singlehandedly dragged him halfway to the door before the turtle finally managed to get his unsteady feet under him and carried a little of his own weight. Together they reached the back door, which was already partially open. K kicked the door open a little further

And with three blasts the garage exploded.

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Static filled Nightwatcher's helmet. As the crackling, snowy sound blasted through the small speakers near Raph's internal ears he was momentarily distracted from his surroundings, a moment that cost him control on a sharp turn and resulted in both the motorcycle and Nightwatcher sliding into traffic. By night this street was nearly deserted but with the morning sun high over head rush-hour had just broken, turning this street into a route even bike messengers were hesitant to take.

The motorcycle was immediately struck by a large truck, throwing both vehicles into the adjoining lane and starting a pile-up in both lanes, a pile-up that probably saved Nightwatcher from a fate as big city road-kill as the traffic came to a stop around him and the bike.

As people began to climb out of their cars and check on those caught in the pile-up several people shouted as they saw the Nightwatcher. Some recognized him from the few photos in the papers and shouted either support or scathing and hateful remarks. Raph ignored them all, regained his footing and ran for a nearby alley where he was sure there was an open manhole.

No sooner had he replaced the sewer lid and dropped to the floor of the sewer tunnel than Raph tore off the helmet, his head still ringing from the static that continued to filter through the speakers.

Dropping the helmet, Raph unzipped the pocket where he kept a couple spare com devices for such a malfunction. After hooking the device on his mask so that it hung over his internal ear, Raph flicked a switch to activate the device.

He jerked the com device off so hard that his mask nearly tore off with it as the same static blasted through the com device that still tore out of the helmet. Raph growled and turned off the com device, then drew one of his sais and jabbed the points of the blades through the helmet's speakers. The only sound in the helmet when Raph finally pulled it back on was the ringing still being produced by his ears.

Raph gave a slight grunt and started back towards the warehouse for repairs, unaware of the police cars, ambulance and fire trucks outpacing him at street level.

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	12. Flame out

I do not own the TMNT.

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Chapter twelve; Flame out

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"Okay Don, I know I've been gone for a while, but things can't have changed so much that Mikey missing breakfast, lunch _and_ dinner is normal." Leo said as he ran a towel over one of the plates that Donnie had just finished washing.

"You can say that again." Don chuckled. "Don't worry, Mikey was working on something late last night and his Turtle Titan costume was 'hidden' in more or less plain sight. My guess is he's still out there playing super hero." Donnie chuckled some more "I wouldn't be surprised if he had something to do with that fire."

Leo had kind of spaced Don had started talking about heroes and costumes, which had only reminded him to start worrying about his other missing brother, but the mention of a fire caught his attention. "What fire?"

"The one that's been on the news all day." Donnie shrugged and rinsed off another plate.

Leo frowned. After all the dished were put away he walked over to the couch and turned the television on.

* * *

_Witnesses claim to have heard several separate and distinctive blasts causing the fire and several others after the fire began burning in full force. Fire Chief Dawson has this to say._

"_Well, in my experience abandoned buildings don't burn the way this one has. They don't burn this long and they don't burn this hot. Somebody had to have been using this old garage to store something flammable that could have caused the blasts; but we won't be able to discover just what until we can stop the flames and get an inspector in there."_

"_Chief Dawson, do you know if there was anyone in the building at the time the fire started?"_

"_Well, according to the folks around here, nobody was seen leaving the site. Then the roof collapsed about ten minutes ago so anyone who might have still been inside…they're dead. There's just no way around it."_

* * *

Burned to the ground.

Raph had heard of it but never seen such a stark example. There wasn't a scrap, beam or melted wreck more than a foot above the ground. Thick black smoke still rose from the cinders and from time to time the heat would find something that hadn't completely burned and the few firefighters still at the site would hurry to extinguish these small flames.

Seen from above, on the roof of the building across the street it was clear that some kind of explosion had caused this. There was a depression where the 'kitchen' used to be, and where K's desk had been, and where there used to be a storage cabinet. The real heat had probably occurred when the gas cans heated up and caught fire. Then there was the oil for the bike, and the paint for touching up scratches, and the polish for all the leather Nightwatcher wore. All those chemicals burning would have produced enough heat to melt Raph's spare weapons…

And incinerate anyone inside the building.

As darkness approached Raph tried to think of a plan, but the only thing that came to mind was K telling him he needed to get some sleep. She had been right; he was now running on nearly thirty-six hours without sleep. How many times over the past year had Donnie told Raph in none to unclear words that his sleeping habits, or habit of not sleeping, was going to catch up to him?

Not half as often as Mikey had quietly slipped into his room and covered him with an extra blanket. Had it really been a year since Mikey had begged him to help improve his driving?

Why had he said no?

And why had it been K, who he barely knew at the time, who had talked him into teaching Mikey anyway?

And most importantly, why couldn't Raph remember doing much else with his brother over the last year? He could remember Mikey asking.

"_Hey Raphie boy! Up for a round or two on Mortal Kombat?"_

"_Don't call me that._" Shortly after that Donnie had acquired and fixed a couple arcade games.

"_Come on Raphie, you know you want to try it! You haven't had pizza in like, forever!"_

"_Don't call me that either."_ Shortly after _that_ Raph had slowly become aware that his brother was making pizzas for some wacky party idea.

"_Raph, come on bro, can't you just stay home for one night? I'll let you pick the movie!"_

"_Some other time."_ Two mornings later Raph had driven his bleeding and unconscious brother into the garage that now lay smoking beneath him.

"Shell for brains." Raph muttered. His voice echoed back at him in the helmet.


	13. Anger

I do not own the TMNT

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Chapter thirteen; Anger

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A black figure stepped out of the twilight shadows and into the light of a shattered streetlight. The light reflected sharply off the figure's visor and glittered savagely off the metal on his costume.

"That stupid vigilante is back, and lookie here, no bike."

The Initiate in the passenger seat grinned. "So, do we gun 'im down or run 'im down? Both options look good to me." He said.

A Purple Dragon sat behind the wheel and smirked, "That kind of thinking is why I like you." He turned the key in the ignition and revved the engine.

Nightwatcher continued his slow, deliberate pace towards them.

The helmet he wore was designed to both protect the wearer from harm and from being seen as a freak. But if the two men could see his face now it would not be the mutant face that would scare them, but rather the pure fury that burned in his eyes.

The driver shifted gears and hit the gas, even as the tires squealed and skidded before gaining purchase the helmeted figure continued towards them, never slowing or hesitating.

Finally the tires caught on the road and the sleek black Crown Victoria shot forward.

Nightwatcher barely had time to take another two steps before the car was upon him. The occupants in the vehicle were already crowing over their victory when the windshield suddenly spider webbed. The driver slammed on the breaks and the Initiate barely had time to register what looked like footprints as the source of the cracks when the windshield shattered again, this time a gloved hand holding some kind of dagger drove through the damaged glass and struck the driver square in the jaw, rendering him unconscious.

The hand was withdrawn and hardly a moment later it returned, plunging through the glass on the passenger side and seizing the Initiate by his shirt. The next thing he knew the Initiate was being pulled through the windshield, shattered glass slicing into his skin before he was flung though the air. He hit the ground and pushed himself to his feet only to have momentum carry him back to the ground. Desperate and terrified, he scrambled back like an injured crab.

From atop his perch on the damaged hood of the car Nightwatcher seemed to watch him for a moment. But then he half stepped, half dropped off the car and easily walked up to the initiate.

Nightwatcher seized him by the collar and lifted him up, he would have been clean off the ground if the Nightwatcher wished it.

"Where's the kid and his father." Not a question, a demand. Low, angry and enough to cause the loss of certain bodily functions.

"I…he…they-"

A jerk backwards and a jerk forward again, shaking the Initiate like an under stuffed doll

"WHERE ARE THEY!"

"Pier sixteen! But they were planning to move them if they have already I don't know where! I swear man, please that's all I know!" Terror, stark, cold and uncontrollable. Just as the Initiate was sure he was dead he felt himself hit the ground again.

He opened his eyes, unaware but not surprised to find he had closed them in the first place. In front of him the Nightwatcher was walking away. As he went he drew that knife-dagger thing of his and slashed both of the tires he passed.

Suddenly the man on the street found himself thinking fondly of home back in Buffalo. Yes, it was definitely time to get out of the city.

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Please review.


	14. Warehouse 16

I do not own the TMNT or related themes and characters.

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Chapter fourteen; Warehouse sixteen.

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There was no warning.

One moment a few Purple Dragon and a couple Initiates were moving boxes around the warehouse, the next two Dragons were on the floor while the Nightwatcher stood in a destroyed doorway with his weapons already set to spinning again.

"Where's the kid and his father." No questions, just threats in the form of demands.

He received no verbal reply. The remaining Dragons and Initiates charged him, trying to overwhelm him with their rather lacking numbers. Nightwatcher's manriki shot out, shattering bone and breaking skin. One had his feet pulled out from under him, his skull cracking loudly against the concrete. Another felt the chain wrap around his torso, pulling him off his feet and causing him to land on his face, shattering the fragile cartilage of his nose. Still more were simply hit in the head and rendered unconscious.

Nightwatcher could easily have killed every last person in the building, and the firey rage coursing through his blood demanded it.

But a small memory tinted orange stopped him.

"_I mean, du-ude, being a ninja is cool but killing people? Do we have to?"_

"_Mikey, you've heard Master Splinter's lessons. Like he says, it takes more skill to injure than to kill. And trust me, Mike, you're going to be such a kick-butt ninja you won't have to kill no one."_

"_You think so?"_

"_Nope, I know so."_

"_So, I won't have to kill anyone. That's good……You won't kill anyone either, right?"_

It had been a dream. Back then they still had to help each other tie their masks on. By now they had both lost count of the kills, but somehow those blue eyes were staying his hand. Even as the chain seemed to call for vengeance, mercy was granted.

The manriki caught an Initiate by the leg as he tried to crawl away. A harsh jerk and he found himself sliding across the floor towards the intruder. As his momentum slowed he was stopped by a heavy boot. The boot kicked him onto his back and the Initiate stared in terror at his own reflection in the visor. Nightwatcher pulled some kind of three bladed knife from somewhere on his costume and gave it a spin before placing the tip of the middle blade under the Initiate's jaw.

"The kid, his father, where_ are_ they." The Initiate tried to crawl back from the blade but the chain still wrapped around his ankle jerked him forward, causing the blade to dig into the soft flesh under his jaw, letting the blood slide down his throat. "Talk, before I take your tongue as a souvenir."

The Initiate opened his mouth, gasped and tried to explain, "I-I don't, I'm just an Initiate! They didn't tell me! They packed the deaf kid and his old man up this morning. Somebody said something about the, the-" The man swallowed, trying to get moisture back in his mouth to talk with, "Look, all I know is that they're trying to find some guy called, called," The Initiate squeezed his eyes shut, trying to remember, "Chris? No! Kyle! They want this guy Kyle, the old man's supposed to know him!" His eyes peeled open, not knowing what to expect.

Nightwatcher withdrew the dagger thing and pulled his arm back, looking for all the world like he was about to strike. The Initiate shut his eyes again and threw up his arms to protect him, "I'm sorry! I wasn't involved in the warehouse! I told them to let the girl out first! I'm sorry!"

There was a moment of dead silence. When the Initiate gathered enough courage to look up again he saw the Nightwatcher standing dead still, his dagger shaking slightly. The leather of his glove creaked slightly and the Initiate was sure he was dead; he could practically feel the rage rolling off of this guy. Once more the dagger was drawn back, a savage and enraged growl echoed out of the helmet. Again the Initiate threw his arms up in a miserable attempt to protect himself.

"_Raph! Wait! WAIT!"_

"_What do you think you're doing!? Raphael, have you lost your mind?! You could have __**killed**__ Mike if you'd hit him with this!"_

A metallic noise. The crunching of concrete.

It was nearly a full five minutes before the Initiate realized he still lived and a couple more before he realized he was the Nightwatcher had gone. He sat up and looked around the warehouse for a moment, hardly believing his luck.

"_Guys, I'm really sorry."_

"_Hey, don't sweat it bro."_

"Mikey." Nightwatcher moved slowly though the streets of New York, physically and emotionally exhausted; but there was still work to be done.

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The last two sets of italics were adapted from both the original Mirage comic and the 2003 series.

Please Review.


	15. Big John

Sorry for the length of time from my last update.

I do not own the TMNT

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Chapter fifteen; Big John

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John looked around his place. The Chief N' Beef had been the best place for Purple Dragon to get a bite ever since Old Nate was in charge, back when John was more commonly referred to as 'Big John'. Now that he had taken over the place was still popular with the Dragons and- in John's opinion- the burgers were better.

The number of Dragons and Initiates was as low as it had been the night before when everyone had gone slinking home to lick their wounds inflicted by that Nightwatcher. John himself found that whenever he tried to bend over too far his gut reminded him of his own spat with the vigilante.

To say the absolute least he was beyond less than pleased when the door of the eatery was literally broken off its hinges and the same leather clad figure came storming inside. Had John not been reaching for his bat and planning how he would kick this punk out of his place he might have noticed deviations in the vigilante's behavior.

Instead of standing at the door and waiting to be attacked he marched straight towards the counter where John stood. And instead of asking questions in a loud and overly confident voice he kept silent. Finally, instead of being relaxed and almost easy going, there was a fog of malice rolling off of him that caused even the more confident of the Dragons to back up for their own safety. By the time he reached the counter the Chief N' Beef was nearly empty.

John stepped out from behind the counter, bat in hand, "You here for a rematch?" He growled.

The response was a swift kick to John's already bruised gut. "Still looking for information." The Nightwatcher growled. John was seized by his collar and despite his bulk he found himself being lifted and shoved back over the counter, "I want to know every whisper of gossip you even imagined hearing about the kid and his father and I want to know it now."

John sneered, he hadn't been a member of the Purple Dragon for so long to turn snitch. Instead he swung the bat in his hand with all of his considerable might. It crunched squarely onto the Nightwatcher's helmet, causing the visor to crack slightly. Instead of stumbling back or politely losing consciousness the Nightwatcher tightened his grip on John's collar, compromising his breathing while a stabbing, burning pain in his wrist forced him to drop the bat.

"Tell me about the kid and his father." Nightwatcher growled. Despite the barely contained rage echoing from the helmet John had the vague feeling that he hadn't made this guy mad, he was already mad.

When John still refused to speak he felt a blade press up to his throat, he was astonished to find that the costumed figure was holding him down without effort with only one hand. The other hand was poised and ready to kill, as so clearly demonstrated by the warm tickling of John's blood as it started to flow from a cut in his throat. Instead of fear, John smirked.

"I've been a member of this gang since before you was born, guaranteed, and unlike some of these pansies skippin' town lately I'm willin' to die for the Dragons." For the first time in years he like he was the Big John giving orders to the little Dragon noobs; like that kid who eventually got the nickname 'Hun'.

"Fine then, say hi to all your little Dragon buddies in He-"

"STOP!" The pressure on John's throat lessened as the Nightwatcher turned to see who had spoken. John would have taken advantage of the situation if his mouth weren't hanging open in shock.

"And, you would be?" Nightwatcher asked, he sounded more annoyed at the disturbance than concerned with the man's appearance.

The man stood with determination as he introduced himself. "My name is Kyle Ramos, but your friend on the counter knows me as Diablo Poco."

John smirked, "PD? Y'ain't so little any more."

Kyle glared at the man, "What have you done with Nora's boy? Where is Peter?" He demanded.

John kept smirking. "Ya shouldn't 'a come here PD. Ya really shouldn't 'a."

"Still here ya know." Nightwatcher grumbled, disliking the man's sudden appearance, how little he understood the situation and mostly the fact that he was being ignored.

John looked up at Nightwatcher's visor, there was something in his expression that made Nightwatcher's skin crawl underneath the leather, "You were according to plan, PD here is an unexpected bonus."

"Huh?" Kyle and Nightwatcher were equally confused.

Under the slightly lessened pressure of Nightwatcher's grip and his blade John started to chuckle as he explained. "You stupid fools, we knew leathers here would come back looking for info, but we at least expected PD to stay smart and run." He stopped chuckling and took a deep breath before barking, "NOW!"

Glass shattered and wood splintered as Purple Dragon armed with guns came in through the windows, the open door and the back doors, all weapons aimed at Nightwatcher and Kyle.

Kyle looked around with a well trained eye before lifting his hands, muttering in Spanish.

Nightwatcher glanced around before refocusing on John, "Call them off!" He ordered, pressing the blade of his sais back to John's throat.

The store owner's face was almost sadistic, "I was supposed to be dead before they got here. Go ahead and kill me."

Barely had the word 'trap' seeded its way into Nightwatcher's mind before the Chief N' Beef was filled with the sounds of gunfire.

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Cliffhanger? Where? Where?

For those of you who've forgotten, Kyle was the family friend with the Purple Dragon tattoo. It was at his apartment that Nora was attacked again and Turtle Titan was shot.

Please review!


	16. The Soldier

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I do not own the TMNT.

Okay, I'm trying a couple new things here, let me know if anything comes off too cheesy or cliché

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Chapter sixteen; The Soldier

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When one wore several pounds of chain, metal, Kevlar and who knew what else; a spontaneous back flip is not easy.

Nevertheless, just as gunfire filled the small eatery called Chief N' Beef Nightwatcher was doing just that to avoid getting killed or becoming an easy target. His mind raced, trying to remember what to do in this sort of emergency.

Get to cover. But he was surrounded. Even as he forced himself to keep moving and try to stay alive Raph had a sinking feeling that he wasn't getting out of the building alive. His costume was hit, knocking him to the floor. Another bullet struck his side but he couldn't tell if it had pierced the costume or not. The crack in his visor vanished as the rest of the visor shattered. Raph closed his eyes just be for the visor's synthetic glass rained down on his mask and eyes.

Strangely though, while the gunfire continued for several more seconds not a single additional bullet hit Nightwatcher. Finally the gunfire ceased completely.

_This can't be what dead feels like._ Raph thought. He rolled over slowly and shook his head to get the glass off of his face. When he finally opened them the first thing he saw was the man, Kyle, lying on the floor in a slowly growing pool of blood.

A quick glance around revealed the Purple Dragon all lying on the ground; apparently unconscious but groaning or twitching to prove they weren't dead. Hoping he would have time, Raph hurried over to where the man lay.

The man had black hair and light brown skin speckled with crimson. He groaned as Nightwatcher came closer and opened his eyes. They were slightly blurred and couldn't focus, but he clearly recognized the blurred figure in front of him. "Nora, she is okay?"

"Uh…" That was the mother right? She should be, but the last thirty some-odd hours had been pretty unpredictable, "Yeah. She's good." Nightwatcher finally told him.

Kyle nodded. "Bueno." He breathed. For a moment he seemed to be collecting his thoughts before finally trying to focus on Nightwatcher again. "Purple Dragons...weapons for information... work for…" The man squinted in concentration. "Yaqan Salim Rabb."

Before Raph could ask what the man meant this Kyle finally managed to make solid eye contact. "Help…Peter."

There was a moment of sickening silence. Finally Raph managed, "I will."

Kyle didn't respond. It was almost another full minute before Raphael realized that he had just watched a man die.

Raph tried to think of what to do, the only person he had actually _watched_ die before had been a robot, and he hadn't really died. The best thing he could think of was to close the man's eyes, if for no other reason than to make this dead stranger stop staring at him.

After accomplishing this one task Raph sat back on the heels of his boots. Inside his gloves his fingers twitched as he realized that he was not alone, there was somebody right behind him; standing. In one quick and long practiced motion Raph drew his sais, stood and turned to face the other.

It was a soldier. Outfitted in full battle dress including a helmet with eye shield and a rifle Raph was surprised he couldn't recognize. Due to the bulky uniform the only solid impressions Raph could gather about this individual was that this was an American soldier and probably young. Strangely, the uniform was bereft of identification; no name tape, branch, rank or squadron designation anywhere.

Before Raph could decide on a course of action the soldier grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the exit. Normally Raph would have objected, strongly and violently, but the Purple Dragon had already begun to stir and the last thing Nightwatcher was willing to do was fight off a legion of gang bangers wielding guns. He was willing to bet that going with one soldier who didn't look any larger than him was smarter than sticking around here.

He was led across the street and into a back alley where a large silvery grey motorcycle stood. Although Raph couldn't recognize the make or model of the bike he couldn't shake the feeling that he'd seen this one before.

The soldier released Nightwatcher's hand and Raph quickly slowed to a stop. Raph wasn't sure whether he was supposed to climb onto the bike with the soldier or if the 'rescue was officially over.

The soldier climbed up onto the bike and shoved the rifle behind his back, where it hung by a strap so that the barrel pointed upwards. Instead up cranking up the bike with a kick start the soldier lifted a panel and flipped the switch. As the engine rumbled to life the soldier turned to face Raph. "Well? Seat up!" He called. "Those punks are waking up now and I bet they called for help."

Nightwatcher nodded and quickly climbed on behind the soldier, still vaguely wondering where he had seen the motorcycle before.

They tore out of the alley just in time to see Dragons come running out of the Chief N' Beef, shouting and firing their guns but missing completely.

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Please review! Constructive criticism is highly appreciated and always taken into consideration!


	17. All's Well

I do not own the TMNT or related themes and characters.

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Chapter seventeen; All's Well

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Raph felt more and more uncomfortable as the motorcycle wove through traffic heading through some of the better lit and more upper class regions of the city. He kept reminding himself that the only thing anyone could see was a soldier and Nightwatcher on a bike, but years of hiding in the shadows were hard to overcome.

Finally the soldier pulled the motorcycle into an alley and waited for Nightwatcher to get off before he did. Raph watched as the soldier propped up the bike, then covered it with an old tarp. Once the bike was well hidden the soldier took of the helmet, giving Raph one of the biggest shocks of his life.

"K?"

The soldier turned to look at him curiously. "Yeah? Why so sho-" K was suddenly cut off when she found herself pulled into Raph's arms and had the breath squeezed out of her lungs. For a moment she was unable to make any sound but after a couple seconds she squirmed and whimpered in pain.

Raph finally let her go and quickly pulled off his helmet to get a better look at her. "K! Yer alright! But I thought- The warehouse fire-…Mikey?"

K stared at him curiously for a moment before understanding dawned and her eyes shot open, "You mean you thought we were- No! Mikey is okay! He is up in my hotel now either sleeping or eating his way through my paycheck! He is okay, I am okay! Nothing too serious!"

Raph looked in shock, the force of the emotions running through his body left him unable to decide what to do. He stumbled back, then took a step forward before suddenly turning and looking intently at the building behind him and then turning back to K. She finally grabbed his arms. "Brooklyn, chill. I will take you up to my room, you can see him and I can get you a new helmet. I will explain everything on the way." Raph nodded numbly and took a step before collapsing under the weight of his own emotions.

He had spent the previous day and all of this night convinced his brother and friend were dead, and he had blamed himself. Now he found that they were not only alive, but well, the shift of emotions was simply too much to deal with.

"Hey, it is alright. Calm down." K's voice was soothing as she knelt beside him. She put an arm over his shoulders and waited until he had collected himself enough to stand.

"What happened?" Raph's voice was as soft as it ever was, "How did you…?"

K led him to the fire escape and jumped slightly to grab the ladder and pull it down. "I found the explosives before they detonated. I managed to wake Mikey and had to half drag him to the door. The door had to be kicked open and, in hindsight, that was probably what set off the explosion…

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The heat and force of the explosion shoved both K and Mikey across the alley. K groaned slightly and sat up to check on Michelangelo. His Turtle Titan cape had caught fire and K quickly jumped forward and beat out the flames. No sooner had she put out the last of the embers than Mikey groaned and started to move.

K sighed in relief before glancing towards the warehouse, which was still giving off enough heat to slowly cook her skin. Billows of black, gas and chemical laden smoke poured out of every opening in the building. It was only a matter of time before the police and fire department were called.

She turned back to the turtle in her care. He was trying to push himself up some, but the injury in his shoulder made that difficult. K knew that she had to get him somewhere to treat his injuries again but she really didn't think she could carry him the distance to her hotel and she definitely couldn't leave him here much longer, the heat from the warehouse fire was turning the alley into an oven. "Come on big guy, time to move!" K reached across Mikey's shell and rolled him over onto his carapace. He whimpered in pain but there really wasn't much K could do about that.

"I will not lie to you, this is _really_ going to hurt." K told him as she stood up and stepped over beside him, "And I am very sorry for that." With that K reached down, grabbed his good arm an heaved. It was difficult to harden her heart against the cry of pain as she lifted the turtle up and eventually onto her shoulders in a fireman carry, but she did so.

After stumbling a step or two under the turtle's weight K managed to get moving at a reasonable pace. "Come on, if you wake up I might teach you how to hotwire a car." She grunted.

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"So you stole a car and drove him here?" Raph confirmed.

K shrugged, "I put it back when I was done." She mumbled. The hard part had been getting the groggy turtle up to the right floor of the hotel. After settling Mikey in and rubbing aloe into her lightly burned skin K had spent several hours trying to contact Nightwatcher through the mike in his helmet with no results.

Mikey had woken up with a ravenous appetite and after eating more than K had ever seen an individual eat before he had fallen asleep again. After that K had decided to grab her personal motorcycle- the one she had kept in the hotel parking lot- and gone looking for Raph herself. It had never occurred to her until after he'd recognized her that he might have thought they were seriously injured, much less dead!

As soon as she unlocked the door to her hotel room Raph rushed inside and half ran to the side of the bed. Under the fancy hotel blanket his brother slept peacefully; Mikey even had a slight smile on his face. Carefully Raph sat on the edge of the bed, watching his brother sleep and proving to himself that everything really was fine.

After closing and locking the door K put up the pretense of examining the damage to the helmet. In reality she was silently watching the scene before her with a small and well hidden smile.

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Lookie! They're okay! But the story is nowhere near done!

Please review.


	18. Think Tank

I do not own the TMNT or related themes and characters.

K is mine.

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Chapter eighteen; Think Tank

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The damage was narrow, but deep. There was only one possible solution.

"You put your sais through the speakers, again." K accused. She leaned against the hotel desk and glared at Raphael.

Raph scratched his cheek thoughtfully with a fork, "Now how would Don put it? Right. 'I determined that the speakers were not conclusive to the stealthy atmosphere I prefer'." Other than spending the last thirty hours with a mostly unconscious or ravenously hungry Michelangelo, K had never met any of the other turtles. However, from what she had been told about Leonardo and Donatello she suspected they would crack up at hearing the thick Brooklyn accent stumble in its attempt to sound like Donatello.

"Eat your food." K admonished as she turned back to the helmet. It wasn't that she didn't have a spare in the hotel room, but with most of her supplies incinerated at the warehouse she didn't want to waste anything.

Especially not with the two turtle brothers having eaten a month's pay in food over the last couple of days alone.

Raphael had been in a much better mood than K had seen him in…ever. He didn't object when she told him to get some sleep. When he had woken up he had checked on his brother before accepting a bowl of oatmeal. Raph hadn't even made his usual comments about oatmeal being wet cardboard. Now he was finishing off a salad –again, without the usual derisive comments- and explaining to K everything he knew about the situation involving Peter and his father.

"Yaqan Salim Rabb" K repeated thoughtfully.

"That's what the guy said…as best I can remember it anyway." Raph agreed.

"Yaqan salim rabb." K murmured the word to herself as she opened the laptop resting on the hotel desk, "Arabic maybe? Or perhaps…" She started typing rapidly.

Raphael idly watched her as she typed, mentally comparing her speed to Donnie's. He had decided months ago that while Donnie's typing was scary fast, K was much worse. Maybe it had something to do with Donnie always calling himself an engineer while this human just said she was into computers. Sure she tinkered and came up with some pretty cool stuff, but her creations 

weren't anywhere near as cool as what Donnie had been turning out in his free time. She did have a knack for getting things she shouldn't have been able to get; such as extremely classified information, rare supplies, discontinued parts and non-delivery meals delivered hot and fresh to the most dangerous parts of New York.

"I think I have it." K spoke up, "Yaqin Salim Rabb. Roughly it translates into 'Confidently Aiding the Master'. Although little is known about this group it appears to be based out of Afghanistan. For the most part this group is considered an annoyance despite the fact that it has been known to supply weapons and supplies to more dangerous organizations."

Raph put his plate down and moved to get a better look at the screen. There was an official looking seal, some photos and a lot of words that he didn't bother to read. "That's all you can find out about these guys?" He asked.

"Yep." K nodded and started to back out of the various programs she'd been using. "I can make some educated guesses about what they are doing in New York, but this is the only concrete evidence I can find."

"So," Raph tossed his plate across the room. It banged against a far wall before falling into a waste basket. He then reached for a hamburger. "So these Arab guys are takin' weapons from the Dragons and given them to the bad guys back home." Raph guessed before taking a bite out of the burger. Almost a third of the burger was taken in that one bite. K wondered how the turtles' rat father had managed to feed them after major fights or battles without a steady income.

"Not quite. The C4 planted in the warehouse was wrapped in plastic." K explained.

"Yeah? And?" Raph asked.

"C4 producers in the United States package the explosive in metal casings. Foreign companies just use plastic or cloth. The bombs used on the warehouse were foreign." K explained.

Raph considered, "So if the Dragons are getting' weapons from the Arab guys… what are the Arabs gettin'?"

K held out her hands in a 'I got nothing' gesture, "Money? Services? The Purple Dragon could be up to anything." She leaned forward in the desk chair, resting her elbows on her knees and her chin on her palm. "The most immediate problem remains with Peter and his father."

"I have an idea about that, but I'm gonna need a little help." Raph was loath to ask for K's help in anything beyond the motorcycle or information he might need, but K had proven pretty handy in tight spots before; such as at the Chief N' Beef earlier.

Unfortunately K seemed to read his mind and shook her head. "Sorry Brooklyn, but all my weapons and gear were destroyed in the warehouse, save for my TAZER rifle, and I used all my cartridges up getting your shell out of there intact."

Raph grunted and sat back in the chair he had pulled up beside the bed. "In that case there ain't much I can do."

"There is someone else you could get help from." K suggested tactfully.

Another grunt, "Who?" Raphael noticed K's gaze had shifted and followed it to the bed. "Oh no! I can't ask him, he's been shot!"

K lifted her eyebrows, "He is healing rapidly and he is a great deal more rested at the moment than you are."

"Two days sleep after a gunshot ain't enough!" Raph insisted.

"No, it is not. But how much better would it be to leave a young boy in the care of the Purple Dragon for two days?" K retorted. "Do not forget Raphael, you yourself have insisted on returning to the streets shortly after getting shot! Is he no better a ninja than you are?" She had dropped her hands and by now was sitting up.

"Now don't you get started on that Battle Nexus thing too!" Raph growled.

K smirked, sitting back almost triumphantly in her seat. "I did not bring that up."

Raphael's reply was cut off by a groan from the bed and some sleepy words from Raph's brother. K reached across the desk and picked up the spare helmet before tossing it to Raph. "You know he can help you. Right now the only question that remains is whether or not to put the helmet on before he wakes up and sees you."

Her wit was rewarded with a dark scowl and Raph moved to put the helmet on, then hesitated.

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Please review.


	19. Please Hold

I do not own the TMNT

K is mine.

Heh, sorry about the long period since my last update…I BLAME K!! (hides)

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Chapter nineteen; Please hold

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Mikey sat up slowly, relieved to find that his shoulder wasn't killing him nearly as bad as it had the last time he'd been awake. He glanced around the hotel room and saw the girl, K, sitting at her customary spot in front of her computer and over closer to the window stood Nightwatcher. From the way his hands were lowering Mikey figured he had just gotten his helmet back on.

"Hey! You're back." Mikey managed a smile as he pushed himself off the hotel bed, sure it was soft but he'd been in the thing all day and by the looks of the light coming through the curtains all night as well. "Is there any breakfast?" he asked cheerfully as his stomach begged a little.

K groaned and pointed to the small fridge in the corner. "The refrigerator is fully stocked Mike. Help yourself."

The naked turtle grinned. "Gracias dudette!" He called as he made for the food.

Nightwatcher glanced over at K who was rubbing her eyes and mouthing _dudette?_

She uncovered her eyes and looked over at Nightwatcher while Michelangelo hummed some cheerful fridge raiding music. Raph still hadn't figured out how but K always seemed to make eye contact despite the visor on the helmet. With a slight jerk of her head K signaled for Nightwatcher to talk to the still humming turtle. A slight nugatory movement of the helmet was his response. Quickly K made some hand gestures that weren't exactly sign language but got the message across.

_Little boy…I no weapons…you need Mike…you talk Mike…NOW!_

Raph frowned. K looked angry, and by the time she actually looked angry she tended to pull out her TAZER or something equally dangerous. When K got mean she got _mean_.

Reluctantly Nightwatcher turned to where Mikey was still raiding the fridge; he was leaning over so far his tail was clearly visible from behind.

"Hey bud-er- kid!" Raph called, unconsciously dropping his voice to a lower tone.

Mikey turned around, "Hah?" He asked around the bear claw in his mouth.

"Kid, I need backup tonight, you up for it?"

In answer to his question Mikey's face lit up and he pulled the pastry from his mouth, "I was hatched ready!" His smile faded when he suddenly remembered something and turned to K, "Uh, could I borrow your phone?"

* * *

"What do you mean 'you'll get used to that'!? Don, are you saying you have no idea where Raph is?!" Donnie lifted the ridges above his eyes as he calmly listened to Leo's voice echo throughout the lair.

"I do believe that's what I just said." He commented mildly. "Lately Raph's been disappearing for a couple of days at a time a lot, so Mikey's the one I'm starting to worry about."

The look Leo shot him would have made a house plant shrivel up and die. "_Starting_?" He asked, the acid in his voice succeeded in killing anything his glare had missed. Donnie finally began to cringe under his brother's gaze. Just before Leo could find out whether Donnie was truly capable of pulling his head into his shell a tone sounded. The tone was attention grabbing without being overtly annoying and was completely alien to Leo. He blinked and looked around. "What was that?"

Donnie grabbed his latest shell cell off of his desk, "New ringtone, you like?" He then answered the phone. "Hello?" The caller spoke and Donatello broke out into a huge, and relieved, grin. "_Mikey_! Where have you been?" He asked pleasantly.

Leo snatched the phone from Donnie. "Mike, where have you been?" He demanded.

In his seat at the desk Donnie crossed his arms in annoyance and started tapping a foot. Leo watched the movement and wondered a little sadly when Donnie had picked that particular habit up. On the other end of the line Mikey was babbling about some kind of superhero team-up and how 'epic' it was going to be. When the excitable turtle started on about comic book deals Leo interrupted him. "That's great Mike, when are you planning on getting home?" He received a vague answer about the next morning, maybe. "Mike I need a more solid answer, where are you now?"

Mikey started coughing and making noises in his throat, occasionally the noise would stop and Leo could hear him take a breath before throwing in a word or two and hissing some more. Leo wondered why it never occurred to Mikey how fake that sounded. "Mike cut it out." Leo ordered just before the connection was broken.

"That's not what I meant." Leo grouched as he handed the phone back to Donnie. "Can you track it?" He asked.

Donnie's expression showed hurt at Leo's doubt. "'Can you track it' he says." He said smugly. The techno turtle stood and quickly crossed the room to the screen on the wall. After touching the screen to activate it he entered some quick commands and waited impatiently as the computer triangulated the call's origin. A few moments passed and the screen zoomed out from the map of New York City to the state map, then the region, and eventually the country. Soon the map expanded further to include an entire world map.

"Uh…" Leo didn't know anything about any of the new gizmos in the lair, but this didn't look promising.

A white, mildly pixilated hourglass appeared on the screen and emptied digital sand into the lower chamber before flipping and repeating the graphic. Leo frowned for a moment before he recognized the old loading symbol. Donnie had never bothered to remove the graphic from the programming because he'd made his computer too fast for the graphic to be used. Curious, Leo looked over to Donnie.

Donatello stood, staring at the monitor with his eyes wide and his jaw slack. After a moment he blinked and shook his head. "No, there has to be a glitch somewhere, there's no way Mikey could find a phone I can't track!" He stepped forward and re-entered the command. A tracer appeared on the screen and moved across the map for a minute before the hourglass popped up again. "This is _impossible_!" Donnie hissed.

Leonardo watched as Donnie redid the search, then tried a similar one. The next attempt Leo sighed and looked around the lair, wondering where his brothers had run off to.

* * *

Yeah, another 'back at the ranch' chapter. Hope you like.

Please leave a review!


	20. Lesson Learned

* * *

Hey! Y'all remember Nora, right? The woman whose kid was kidnapped? She's back!

You mean you don't remember her? It's been too long?... I BLAME K!!!

(K) Stop blaming me for your lazy butt!

I do not own the TMNT.

* * *

Chapter twenty; Lessons

* * *

Nora glanced nervously between the blinds of her apartment just as another police cruiser drove quietly past. It has been two days since Peter had been taken from her and the police had found nothing. They had no leads as to where either her husband or her son might be and to make matters worse Kyle had seemingly vanished completely.

As soon as the police car passed two men emerged from the shadows; one of them clearly relieving the other of his watch. As one of the men walked off the light from the streetlight temporarily caught his skin and revealed a large purple dragon on his large bare arm. It was terrifying, but all Nora could do was tighten her grip on her husband's old thirty-two and hope the police, or someone, would find her family.

* * *

"Follow baldy."

"_Right._" Nightwatcher looked up to see Turtle Titan race across the rooftops, following their target. Behind Mikey flapped a brand new, blood red cape. When Raph had asked why K was humoring his super-hero fetish she had smacked his helmet hard enough to make his ears ring before explaining that there was more than one identity that needed to be protected.

For his part Nightwatcher stay hidden in the shadows. He wasn't going to mess things up for this woman anymore than he already had. Leaving things to chance hadn't turned out so good for him lately; first he'd gotten that kid kidnapped, then he'd gotten Mikey shot, and if that wasn't enough he'd let both Mikey and K get nearly blown to bits. That wasn't including all the stupid things he'd done alone since the explosion.

Now he was going to make sure all the loose ends were tied up, first thing was to alert the police to the gang punks watching the Carlton lady, after that he'd catch up with Mikey and go from there…

Of course sooner or later he was going to have to get back to the lair and punch Leo good and hard in the snout for being right all these years. Apparently rushing in half-cocked wasn't half as easy to get away with when the person doing all the rushing is responsible.

It wasn't long before the next patrol car came by. As the Dragons had done each time before the gang member stepped back into the shadows to avoid being seen. Beneath his helmet Raph smirked. The guy might be using the shadows to his advantage, but he was no ninja.

* * *

Once again Nora watched as the man on the street disappeared into the alley. She swallowed, one finger playing over the safety on her husband's gun.

The police car rolled slowly past, the officers probably doing their best to look for trouble behind the shaded windows of their car as it approached the building. Nora had met the officers. They were good people who were trying their best, but in this neighborhood strangers had to keep moving or they became targets, even the police.

No, strike that, especially the cops. Ever since the Initiates started up attacking cops had become more popular than mugging pretty rich girls. At first the cops had been willing to fight back, but when the number of gang members being killed had risen so had the accusations of racism and discrimination from different interest groups. The papers and new reported that police shootings were going up, but details as to why were conveniently left out. Now police officers were being attacked on the streets and at the station.

Nora couldn't blame them for their reluctance to stop.

But they did stop. Right in front of the alley when suddenly the man who was watching Nora's store came flying out of the alley… no, certainly not flying, he was thrown! The Purple Dragon crashed into the police car's windshield and lay still as the officers stopped and jumped out of either side, guns drawn. One of them released his gun with one hand and spoke into the radio on his shoulder while the other went to investigate the alley the Purple Dragon had been thrown from. It was clear that he didn't find anything there.

* * *

"Where are you?" Raph asked.

"_Over on Lairdman island. Looks like the Purple Dragon took over the Foot- I mean; they took someone else's old hideout._" Turtle Titan answered over the radio.

Raph nodded as he watched another cop car pull up in front of the electronics shop. Now that they had proof the place was still being watched they had decided it was worth having a standing guard there in addition to the police drive-by. That should be enough to keep the lady safe. "I'm on my way." Raph reported. "Nightwatcher out."

* * *

So Raphie boy has learned a little bit more about responsibility and why his older brother annoys him so much.

Kindly leave a review!


	21. Potentially Problematic

I am SO-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O sorry that this took so long! I wanted to wait until I had the end completely plotted out and first-drafted but it was taking too long! PLEASE FORGIVE ME!!!! *grabs Mikey and uses him for a Turtle-Titan-afied puppy dog look*

…

While Mikey's doing his thing; please forgive me for the delay until the next chapter! It could be a while!

Oh, and I own neither Nightwatcher nor Turtle Titan... nor DC comic characters or- ... Wow, this is weird... _Disney_ Marvel characters.

* * *

Chapter twenty-one; Potentially Problematic

* * *

Turtle Titan perched impatiently on top of the old warehouse. He was a superhero, super heroes didn't _perch_… unless they were Batman… or Spiderman… Thing had kind of pulled it off in the Fantastic Four movie... and-

His musings were interrupted when he saw a plain black car drive up to the warehouse. Baldy, having never actually entered the warehouse, stepped away from the wall and walked over to the car.

"Brilliant!" Turtle Titan whispered as the car door opened and the gang member climbed inside. "Just like in _Justice Force_ number eighty-one! But since when were Purple Dragon '_Justice Force_ eighty-one' smart?" He frowned, this did not fit into what he knew of the gang and when things didn't fit it tended to fall into the category Raph referred to as, "turtle runnin' luck true ta' form."

Quickly Turtle Titan tapped the side of his cowl, trying not to grin like a dope when the personalized communication gizmo K had rigged for him came to life. "Forget Lairdman Island." He reported quickly, "They're moving again!"

"_Keep me up ta date._" Nightwatcher replied.

Turtle Titan nodded before he remembered he was on a communicator, "Right."

* * *

By the time the car had come to a complete stop and pulled into an underground parking garage Turtle Titan was nearly out of breath and more than ready to call it a night. "Dude, you're not going to believe this." He reported.

"_Believe what?_"

"They stopped again, went into a parking garage. I think this is their final stop." Turtle Titan reported.

"_Okay, where are you?_"

Turtle Titan didn't answer right away. He darted across a street, doing his best to remain out of sight as he slipped into the underground parking garage and followed the car.

"_Spit it out, where are you?_" Nightwatcher repeated.

Turtle Titan crept through the rows of parked cars, coming closer and closer to where the car had stopped. He stopped only a few rows away and watched as the doors of the car opened and three people climbed out, including Baldy. They all walked over to the elevator out of the garage as casually as to show they belonged there.

"_This thing didn't go dead again did it?_"

"No, it's still working." Turtle Titan replied. He pulled the communicator away from his head when language filthy enough to make a sailor ill came streaming out of the ear piece. The men from the car entered the elevator. When the doors closed Turtle Titan moved to watch the light over the doors and see where they'd gone. "Ever hear of keeping a low profile? I couldn't exactly talk!" Turtle Titan insisted.

"_Just tell me where ya are!_"

Swallowing, knowing the Nightwatcher wasn't going to like his answer any more than his silence, Turtle Titan reported, "They just took the elevator up to the tenth floor… they're in the same hotel as K."

* * *

"_**WHAT?!?!**_" The faceplate on Raph's helmet rattled slightly under the force of his bellow.

"_Baldy and the other guys that picked him up, they're at K's hotel. Not the same floor though_."

Raph growled. "Track 'em, I'm comin' back." He ordered.

"_On it_." Turtle Titan responded.

Raph growled and hit the brakes. The bike very nearly lost control but Raph managed to control it. The thing was designed to be handled by a human who weighed nearly forty pound less than him, easily sixty less with all this gear. K's bike wasn't bad, it was nearly as good as Nightwatcher's, but when he needed it to respond quickly he wasted precious time trying to fight the thing.

As he finally got the bike pointed in the right direction Raph grit his teeth and tried to calm down.

_It's just the same place. That hotel's full of people doin' different stuff… just because it's the same one don't mean nothin'…_

* * *

"…Yes, my department has been investigating the Nightwatcher vigilante actively for months. We have several leads but we think the information necessary to crack his identity is on the bike… no, not fingerprints, a specific chemical residue that will link us to the manufacturer of the bike. We need to compare samples in our lab to ensure the correct match… exactly… I will send the paperwork right away."

The fax machine beeped rapidly as the number was entered. Several sheets of paper were fed through the machine. "Okay, it is on the way… yes that is right… thanks." The phone was turned off and hung up.

Sitting back contentedly in her computer chair K picked up one of the communicators and listened in for a moment… silence. She put the communicator back down and refilled her mug with hot water, prepping more hot chocolate with one hand as she keyed through some files on her computer.

Finding what she wanted, K picked up the phone and dialed another number. "Hello, District Ten offices? This is Sadie Graham from District Eight. There's been a mix up, one of the rookies sent a motorcycle to your department, it should be arriving there soon… actually, we will be sending an officer over to collect it personally… absolutely… thank you for understanding… yeah, rookies…" K listened as the officer on the other end of the phone recounted one of the recent stunts a District Ten rookie had pulled. "Crazy." She agreed, sipping her hot chocolate.

"Yes, she'll have the paperwork with her… no, the sergeant plans on sending Officer Smith out as soon as she gets in… thank you. Goodnight." The phone beeped as K hung it up. Putting her mug down, K dialed another number. She stood up as it rang, and rang.

"_Murphy's costume shop, fool the pros or your money back._"

"Hey! Murphy, Lynn again."

"_Lynn! My favorite little cosplay, what can I get you?_"

"Can you get me a district eight lady-cop by ten tomorrow?"

"_No problem, cash or credit?_"

"Sorry Murph, this party drained my budget; charge." A knock at the door announced room service.

"_Sure thing, send me a picture from the party alright_?"

"Always Murphy." K agreed before hanging up. The knocking at the door repeated, "Hold on!" K called, moving impatiently toward the door. Checking the peephole, she recognized the man on the other side as the usual guy.

"Prompt as always." She said as she opened the door. Once the door was completely open another man stepped out from behind the wall, this one K didn't recognize. "Ah shell."


	22. Definitely Problematic

I do not own the TMNT... K is mine.

Sorry about the delay folks! I'm not dead and neither is Nightwatcher! Just a realy long break... sorry.

* * *

Chapter Twenty-two; Your typical DiD

* * *

Nightwatcher drove straight into the parking garage of the hotel without slowing. He followed Turtle Titan's directions to the correct floor and kept moving as fast as possible while still maintaining control on the bike until he caught sight of the figure in flamboyant red.

Turtle Titan waved as Nightwatcher braked to a stop. "They got off on the tenth floor." The caped mutant explained quickly.

"Right." Nightwatcher replied. He didn't take any comfort from the information. His ears were still ringing from a shot of static he'd been hit with just minutes ago. It wasn't as severe as when the main system had blown with the rest of the warehouse, but there had been something about it that bothered him, a clicking or something that had come right before the static. "Get up there and scout the tenth floor without being seen. That means no flashy superhero stuff, got it?"

Turtle Titan saluted, using the arm not attached to his wounded shoulder. "Got it." He replied.

Nightwatcher turned the bike and was about to start off when the Titan's voice stopped him. "Hey, is it normal for these things to buzz like that?" A quick jerk of Nightwatcher's helmet confirmed the situation wasn't normal before the motorcycle revved and he was gone.

Raph left the garage and drove around to the side of the building with the fire escape. He quickly dumped the bike and headed up until he'd reached the correct floor, then moved nimbly across the small, decorative ledge to the room where K was staying. The window was open, but there didn't appear to be anyone inside.

"K?" Raph called. His half shout wasn't very stealthy, but this suit wasn't exactly designed for being inconspicuous. "K, ya there?" The water wasn't running in the bathroom so she should be able to hear him anywhere in the room.

A quick scan of the room revealed nothing unusual. The bed was same as it had been after Mikey woke up, trash filled with food containers and the closet door cracked open with her suitcase partially in view. Other than some scattered electronics bits on the desk next to her laptop everything was completely normal for K. "K?" Raph called again. He moved to the bathroom. Maybe K had fallen asleep? The timing wouldn't be too good, but it wouldn't be a first. Slowly, one hand on his sai, Raph pushed the bathroom door open. Immediately he drew his blade and crouched into an attack position.

"I wouldn't do that." The man advised. He stood calmly in the center of the bathroom, one arm wrapped low around K's shoulders, the other supporting a gun pressed firmly up into her throat just beneath the jaw. The position not only granted him a more solid plant for the gun, but threatened a bloodier and more defacing death than otherwise.

K stood calmly with her head slightly tilted away from the pressure exerted on her jaw. A bruise was blossoming over one eye and a little blood was smeared under her nostrils but otherwise she looked as though she were being forced to attend something that didn't really concern her. She wasn't even looking at Nightwatcher but rather at some unknown point over his shoulder.

"Drop it." The man ordered, glancing meaningfully at the weapon in Nightwatcher's hand. When the costumed vigilante hesitated the gunman shoved the gun more firmly against K's throat, forcing her head back into a position that looked painful even without the gun. Although K remained calm Raph dropped the sai, then kicked it away for good measure. "Thank you." The gunman said cordially and a little loudly. K's jaw tightened and she squirmed slightly but the man merely tightened his grip. "Now ya do as I say and everything will go just fine." The man said, his voice calm and his words slow.

K was moving. Her arms were at her side but after Raph had dropped his weapon she'd begun moving one of them. From behind the shaded visor of his helmet Raph was able to stare at it without seeming suspicious, but he had no idea what K's hand gesture might entail. First she pointed at him, then made a circle motion with her finger. Did she want him to circle around? That was ridiculous; there was only one entrance to that bathroom. "I don't want you messing with the plan, heck if you haven't gotten in the way enough already."

Okay, the guy was talking nonsense and K was pointing to the floor and circling now. Oh, right. Nightwatcher spun around in time to see the guy sneaking up from behind him with a semi-automatic rifle of some kind, probably having hidden in the closet all this time. Raph should have checked that… yet another point to go under 'do not tell Leo'.

As he turned he snapped a hand up, grabbing the barrel of the rifle and yanking it aside while shooting out a foot. The guy had to release the gun, leaving it in Nightwatcher's glove. Coming around full circle, Nightwatcher pulled the gun up and took aim.

Stalemate. The other guy had a pistol and K, Nightwatcher had a rifle. Somewhere behind Nightwatcher the original holder of the gun groaned, but it wasn't a disabled groan. A moment later came the sound of a gun hammer being pulled into place. The man in front of Nightwatcher smirked. K closed her eyes, almost grimacing: the stalemate was over. Nightwatcher glanced over his shoulder and saw the forty-five in the second man's hand. The Nightwatcher's suit was leather; not bullet proof.

The rifle hit the floor as Nightwatcher reluctantly reached for the ceiling.


	23. Meet the Boss

Um...

Raph/Nightwatcher and Mikey/Turtle Titan or any other turtles not mine. Purple Dragons= not mine

Initiates= mine. K= Mine. Peter and his family; mine but sharable

I humbly apologize for the delay, once again. I pretty much hung Nightwatcher and K out to dry for over a year here, and I don't _want_ to know what trouble Turtle Titan got into while my back was turned.

* * *

Chapter twenty-three; Meet the Boss

* * *

Given any other situation Raph would have tried something in the elevator when the walls kept everyone close and using long range weapons like guns was stupidity. Or if they'd used the stairwell he could have made a grab for K and pulled her over the stair rail and out of the line of fire. But the creep holding her kept the barrel of his pistol jammed so securely under K's jaw that an angry bruise could be seen trying to match the one over her eye.

Through it all K managed to look disinterested. As though the situation didn't concern her and she was just humoring some imbecile. Privately, Raph had to admit he was curious as to how she managed to look so unconcerned despite the battered condition of her face. Less privately, he was pissed that these punks had the nerve to do that to her and the minute he got a chance...

The elevator dinged and the second gunman tapped his rifle against the back of Nightwatcher's costume, indicating he move forward and probably wondering as much as Raph was what damage a bullet might be able to do to that thing on the back of his costume. After Raph and his guard left the elevator Nightwatcher heard a noise and a whimper. He turned to see that K had stumbled and the man behind her was pulling her back to her feet. A drop of blood showed on the barrel of the gun and around the bruises K had gone pale, but her face either remained impassive or she had regained composure before Nightwatcher had turned.

The man behind Raph thumped his barrel against Nightwatcher's back again and Nightwatcher hesitantly obeyed. Under the costume Raph shook as adrenaline and rage ran through him thicker than his own blood. But the gun trained on K was ready to blow.

The tenth floor of the hotel was the penthouse. Only one suite and it took up the entire floor, no hallway. The carpet was plush enough that it even softened the sound of Nightwatcher's boots and there was enough fancy furniture for a large meeting... which appeared to be in the middle of it's proceedings. At least a dozen people sat or stood around dressed in either foreign looking business suits, distinctly American-sleaze business suits, or in the typical leathers of the Purple Dragon. Some of these people -including the only woman- carried folders or briefcases, most of these people carried some kind of weapon either in plain sight or under their clothing. Everyone was staring at the group coming out of the elevator.

"Who?" One of the men in suits asked. A thick accent colored this lone word.

"I'm sorry for the interruption." Another one of the suits answered, an American. "They weren't supposed to be brought up here." He hurried over to where Nightwatcher and K were being held. He slapped the guy holding Raph at rifle point upside the head. When he spoke again he hissed too quietly for the rest of the assembled to hear, "_What did you think you were doing? I told you to keep an eye on them_ _downstairs!"_

The rifle guy cringed and muttered something back about misunderstandings or good ideas or something. While the two of them hissed at each other the lone woman walked over to where K was being held. She looked very closely at K, clearly making her guard jumpy when she traced the bruising along K's eye with a highly manicured finger. As if coming to a decision she turned to the assembled and spoke rapidly in a language that kind of reminded Raph of the time his entire family -April and Case included- caught bad chest colds. One of the cleaner business suit guys barked, "Let the girl go."

The man holding K glanced to the guy hissing at them. He looked questioningly to the man who had spoken. "The costumed man crazy to try anything. My wife wants her unhanded." The hissing man nodded to K's guard. He lowered his pistol and stepped back. Despite her composure, K coughed when the pressure was released from her throat. The wife put a hand on K's elbow and led her through the room into another room, tittering the entire way in disgust, as if K could understand every word. Nightwatcher wanted to follow, keep an eye on K, but now both of the men had their attention -and their guns- focused on Nightwatcher.

Several of the other men in the room also focused on Nightwatcher. Clearly all of them were thinking the same thing as Raph and one of them voiced it clearly; "Now what?"

* * *

The woman kept chattering as she led K from the main room into a bedroom. The bedroom was every bit as plush as the main area, with the same carpeting, large windows with the shades drawn and guards standing at the ready, a privacy fan set up with lavish clothing draped over the top and a gigantic bed with a down comforter that was so thick the little boy playing cars in the middle sunk into it.

"Peter?" K guessed. His skin and hair were the same color as the woman beside him, but his hair looked to be home-cut and his features were more Hispanic than Afghani, or Indian.

"He can't speak yet." The woman explained. K flinched, she hadn't suspected the woman could speak English, much less speak it better than her husband. "His understanding of American Sign Language is poor." She nodded to a man standing beside the door and he took his place guarding it. The woman continued to speak as she headed toward the bathroom. "We tried both English and Spanish speakers but he can't read lips either. At his age all he can write is his name."

When the woman disappeared into the bathroom K caught a glimpse of how lavish _that_ was, but it didn't hold her attention. Instead she saw the boy -who had been quietly playing or eating from a plate of hotdogs- suddenly look up. He frowned at K. K forced a smile and waved. The boy used both of his index fingers and pushed the sides of his mouth upwards, making K smile for real. The boy glanced at the bathroom and quickly turned his attention back to his toy cars, pausing in his enthusiastic play only to grab a chip from his plate. At that moment the woman emerged from the bathroom with a box and a damp cloth.

_How about that?_ K wondered.

"It is is pity how rough the men here are with girls." The woman continued. She set her box on a table and opened it, touching the cloth to a mixture stored within. With a friendly smile she gestured for K to join her. "I hope it is not too late for the younger ones to realize that women are like flowers, and should be treated well." When K was close enough the woman gently lifted her chin, K tried not to shudder at the feel of the woman's long nail. The woman then dabbed at the sore area where K had been held at gunpoint. K clenched her teeth and resisted the temptation to hiss. "It stings, yes. But this will clean your wound and after a few minutes the pain will ease as well." The woman said. "You may call me Hatisha. May I have your acquaintance?"

Resisting the urge to say 'no', K replied simply. "K."

Hatisha smiled. She moved the cloth from K's throat to touch it gently to the bruising on her face. K wasn't sure what that would do, if anything. "Kay, that's nice. Any special meaning to it?" She asked.

"It's a letter." K replied.

"Interesting."

If anyone asked her how she decided K would never have been able to answer. But there and then she decided that she hated this woman.

* * *

Don't worry, I'm not turning K into the hero of the story, just using her for a little perspective... and to piss Raph off.


End file.
